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THE  UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

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THE  WILMER  COLLECTION 

OF  CIVIL  WAR  NOVELS 

PRESENTED  BY 

RICHARD  H.  WILMER,  JR. 


THE  BLUE  AND  THE  GRAY— AFLOAT 

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TAKEN    BY    THE    ENEMY 
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ON   THE    BLOCKADE 
STAND   BY    THE    UNION 
FIGHTING    FOR   THE   RIGHT 
A   VICTORIOUS    UNION 


THE  BLUE  AND  THE  GRAY— ON  LAND 

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BROTHER    AGAINST    BROTHER 

IN   THE   SADDLE 

A   LIEUTENANT   AT   EIGHTEEN 

ON   THE   STAFF 

AT   THE    FRONT 

AN    UNDIVIDED   UNION 


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Page  115. 


The  Blue  and  the  Gray  —  On  Land 


AN  UNDIVIDED  UNION 


BY 


OLIVER  OPTIC 


AUTHOR   OF   "the   ARMY    AND   NAVY    SERIES"    "  YOUNG   AMERICA   ABROAD,  FIRST 

AND    SECOND   SERIES  "    "  THE    BOAT-CLUB    STORIES  "    "  THE    GREAT    WESTERN 

series"     "the    WOODVILLE     stories"      "the     ONWARD    AND     UPWARD 

SERIES  "    "  THE   LAKE   SHORE    SERIES  "    "  THE   YACHT-CLUB   SERIES  " 

"the     RIVERDALE     stories"     "the      BOAT-BUILDER     SERIES" 

"the   blue   AND   THE    GRAY — AFLOAT"     "  ALL    OVER    THE 

WORLD —  FIRST,    SECOND,    AND    THIRD    SERIES"     "THE 

BLUE  AND  THE  GRAY — ON    LAND"    ETC.  ETC.  ETC. 


COMPLETED   BY 

EDWARD   STRATEMEYER 

AUTHOR   OF   "the   OLD   GLORY   SERIES"    "BOUND  TO    SUCCEED   SERIES"    ETC. 


BOSTON 

LEE   AND   SHEPARD   PUBLISHERS 

1899 


CoPTRitiUT,  1899,  BY  Lee  and  Shepakd. 


All  Bights  Reserved. 


An  Undivided  Union. 


NortoDoB  IPrcBB 

J.  S.  Cushing  &  Co.  -  Berwick  &  Smith 

Norwood  Mass.  U.S.A. 


Ea  M^  iFrient) 
FRED   D.   IRISH 

WHOSE    ENTHUSIASTIC    SUPPORT    AND    SUCCESSFUL    EFFORTS 

IN    DISTRIBUTING    MY    BOOKS 

AMONG    THE    YOUTH    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES 

HAS    BEEN    A    CONSTANT    INSPIRATION 

2Ei}ts  aSSork  is  ^ffetttonatclg  IBrttcatrt 


602673 


PUBLISHERS'   PREFACE 

The  outline  and  incomplete  material  of  An 
Undivided  Union  were  left  among  the  papers 
of  the  late  William  T.  Adams  ("  Oliver  Optic  "), 
and  the  same  notes  that  were  to  complete  the 
"Blue  and  Gray  —  On  Land"  series  also  closed 
the  life-work  of  America's  best-known  writer  of 
boys'  stories. 

There  has  been  a  constant  demand  that  this 
unfinished  concluding  volume  be  prepared  for 
publication,  and  Mr.  Edward  Stratemeyer,  author 
of  the  remarkably  popular  "  Old  Glory "  series, 
based  upon  the  Spanish- American  war,  undertook 
the  task  of  picking  up  the  threads  of  the  narra- 
tive and  carrying  it  to  such  a  conclusion  as  was 
evidently  intended.  He  has  performed  the  work 
devotedly  and  successfully,  and  sustained  the  har- 
mony of  the  series  to  the  end. 

The  publishers  take  this  opportunity  to  pay 
tribute  to  the  memory  of  Mr.  Adams,  whose  name 
has  been  inseparably  connected  with  this  house 
for  so  many  years.  Such  was  his  loyalty  that 
no  manuscript  for  publication  in  bound  form  was 


PUBLISHERS'   PREFACE 

The  outline  and  incomplete  material  of  An 
Undivided  Union  were  left  among  the  papers 
of  the  late  William  T.  Adams  ("Oliver  Optic"), 
and  the  same  notes  that  were  to  complete  the 
"Blue  and  Gray  —  On  Land"  series  also  closed 
the  life-work  of  America's  best-known  writer  of 
boys'  stories. 

There  has  been  a  constant  demand  that  this 
unfinished  concluding  volume  be  prepared  for 
publication,  and  Mr.  Edward  Stratemeyer,  author 
of  the  remarkably  popular  "  Old  Glory "  series, 
based  upon  the  Spanish-American  war,  undertook 
the  task  of  picking  up  the  threads  of  the  narra- 
tive and  carrying  it  to  such  a  conclusion  as  was 
evidently  intended.  He  has  performed  the  work 
devotedly  and  successfully,  and  sustained  the  har- 
mony of  the  series  to  the  end. 

The  publishers  take  this  opportunity  to  pay 
tribute  to  the  memory  of  Mr.  Adams,  whose  name 
has  been  inseparably  connected  with  this  house 
for  so  many  years.  Such  was  his  loyalty  that 
no  manuscript  for  publication  in  bound  form  was 

V 


VI  PUBLISHERS     PREFACE 

ever  given  to  any  other  publisher,  and  the  present 
volume  is  the  one  hundred  and  eighth  to  bear  the 
magical  name  of  "Optic."  It  is  gratifying  to  be 
able  to  record  that  in  return  for  his  steadfastness 
in  remaining  by  the  house  of  his  choice  through 
prosperity  and  adversity  an  actual  sale  of  more 
than  two  million  copies  of  Mr.  Adams's  books  has 
been  reached,  while  the  present  season  finds  them 
enjoying  undiminished  favor. 

No  more  striking  testimonial  could  be  asked 
than  the  constant  applications  from  men  of  mature 
life  for  the  books  that  so  charmed  them  as  boys, 
in  order  that  their  own  sons  may  have  the  same 
enjoyment.  Or,  could  anything  be  more  conclu- 
sive than  that  one  of  the  most  prominent  men 
in  the  public  life  of  our  state  still  turns  to  his 
favorite  "  Oliver  Optic "  books  for  pleasurable 
relief  when  the  cares  of  the  day  have  made  rest 
seem  almost  an  impossibility  ? 

Critics  come  and  critics  go,  but  the  hold  of 
"  Oliver  Optic  "  upon  the  popular  mind  remains 
unchanged.  No  mean-souled  man  could  so  en- 
dure. As  he  said  himself :  "  I  have  never  written 
a  story  which  could  excite  the  love,  admiration, 
and  sympathy  of  the  reader  for  an  evil-minded 
person  or  bad  character.  This  has  been  my 
standard;  and,  however  others  may  regard  it,  I 
still  deem  it  a  safe  one."  All  who  had  any  con- 
nection with  the  publication  of  Mr.  Adams's  works 


PUBLISHERS     PREFACE  Vll 

loved  the  man,  and  his  visits  were  marked  with 
cheerful  words  for  each  one,  in  whatever  capacity 
employed,  and  will  linger  helpfully  while  life 
remains.  All  who  knew  him  join  in  honoring 
the  unfailing  kindness  and  clean,  true  nature  of 
this  great  writer  and  noble  friend  of  youth. 

LEE   AND   SHEPARD. 

April  1,  1899. 


PREFACE 

"  An  Undivided  Union  "  is  the  sixth  and  last 
volume  of  the  "  Blue  and  Gray  —  On  Land " 
series.  Like  its  predecessors  it  relates  the  ad- 
ventures of  the  Riverlawn  Cavalry,  a  Union  regi- 
ment, raised  in  Kentucky,  and  participating  in 
the  daring  campaigns  undertaken  by  the  Army 
of  the  Cumberland.  The  fifth  volume  of  the 
series  left  the  regiment  at  Murfreesboro,  after 
most  gallant  service  performed  at  the  battle  of 
Stone  River ;  in  the  present  book  is  given  an 
account  of  the  operations  around  Murfreesboro, 
before  Tullahoma,  and  through  the  bloody  battles 
of  Chickamauga,  Chattanooga,  Lookout  Mountain, 
Missionary  Ridge,  and  other  contests  leading  up 
to  Sherman's  famous  March  to  the  Sea. 

As  in  the  other  stories  of  this  series,  Deck  Lyon 
has  again  come  to  the  front  as  a  daring  hero,  but 
his  achievements  are  closely  seconded  by  his  foster 
brother,  Artie,  and  by  the  firm  friend  of  the  two, 
Captain  Life  Knox.  If  Deck  does  some  smart 
things,  it  must  be  remembered  that  he  was  a 
smart  young  man  or  he  would  not  have  risen  to 

is. 


X  PREFACE 

be  senior  major,  first  battalion,  of  the  Riverlawns. 
Besides  this,  the  major  still  had  with  him  his 
famous  charger,  Ceph,  a  steed  with  almost  human 
intelligence  on  certain  points,  and  one  that  had 
helped  him  to  escape  from  many  a  perilous 
position. 

In  the  completion  of  this  work  some  thirty 
authorities  have  been  consulted,  including  the 
Government  Records,  records  of  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland,  and  biographies  of  the  principal  gen- 
erals on  both  sides  who  took  part  in  the  various 
operations.  Thus  the  book  has  been  made,  from 
an  historical  standpoint,  as  accurate  as  possible. 
It  may  be  that  errors  have  crept  in,  but  if  so  it 
is  hoped  that  they  will  not  be  of  sufficient  impor- 
tance to  mar  the  general  usefulness  of  the  volume, 
outside  of  its  value  as  a  bit  of  fiction. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I 

PAGE 

A  Call  for  Assistance 1 

CHAPTER   II 
An  Unexpected  Set-back 13 

CHAPTER   III 
The  Encounters  at  the  Bridge  and  on  the  Raft     .       26 

CHAPTER   IV 
A  First  Victory  over  the  Enemy 40 

CHAPTER   V 
Two  Flags  of  Truce 53 

CHAPTER   VI 
A  Missing  Document  of  Importance 67 

CHAPTER   VII 
In  which  the  Enemy's  Supplies  are  confiscated  .     .       80- 

CHAPTER   VIII 

The  Engagement  near  Spring  Hill 95 

xi 


XU  CONTENTS  , 


CHAPTER   IX 

PAGE 

Major  Deck  Lyon  makes  a  Promise      •     .     o     .     .     .     109 

CHAPTER   X 
A  Trip  on  a  Raft 123 

CHAPTER   XI 
The  Encounter  at  the  Railroad  Trestle     ....     137 

CHAPTER   XII 
In  the  Burning  Cotton  Mill 150 

CHAPTER   XIII 
An  Advance  All  along  the  Line      .......     163 

CHAPTER   XIV 
Artie  is  made  a  Prisoner 176 

CHAPTER   XV 

GOSSLEY    THE    GUERILLA  ...........       189 

CHAPTER   XVI 
The  Holding-up  of  the  Closed  Carriage      ....     203 

CHAPTER   XVII 
The  Capture  of  the  Confederate  Spy 216 

CHAPTER   XVIII 
The  Evacuation  of  Tullahoma     . 228 


CONTENTS  XUl 

CHAPTER    XIX 

PAGE 

In  which  the  Riveelawns  ake  caught  in  a  Trap      .     242 

CHAPTER  XX 
Major  Lyon  wins  a  Battle  and  loses  his  Horse       .     256 

CHAPTER   XXI 
Crossing  the  Tennessee  River 269 

CHAPTER   XXII 
The  Signals  in  the  Dark 281 

CHAPTER   XXIII 
An  Important  Capture  on  the  Mountains     ....     294 

CHAPTER   XXIV 
Operations  in  McLemore's  Cove 306 

CHAPTER   XXV 
"Hold  the  Hill  for  Ten  Minutes,  at  Any  Cost!"     320 

CHAPTER   XXVI 
The  Battle  of  Chickamauga 333 

CHAPTER   XXVII 
Major  Lyon  plays  the  Part  of  a  Spy 346 

CHAPTER   XXVIII 
An  Adventure  at  Crawfish  Springs 359 


XIV  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER   XXIX 

PAGE 

Major  Lyon  rejects  a  Proposal 372 

CHAPTER   XXX 
A  Friend  in  Need 385 

CHAPTER   XXXI 
Through  the  Enemy's  Lines 398 

CHAPTER   XXXII 
The  Second  Day  at  Chickamauga 412 

CHAPTER   XXXIII 
Captain  Artie  Lyon  is  shot  down 426 

CHAPTER   XXXIV 

Major   Lyon   makes    a    Discovery    and    delivers    a 

Message 440 

CHAPTER   XXXV 

The  Siege  of  Chattanooga  and  a  Hunt  for  Drugs  .     453 

CHAPTER   XXXVI 

Fierce  Fighting  —  An  Undivided  Union  —  Conclusion    468 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 

"  '  Water,'  he  murmured.     '  ^Yater  ! '  "    .     .     .     Frontispiece 


PAGE 


"  '  Surrender,  or  you  are  a  dead  man  ! '  " 32 

" '  So   we   meet   again,'   was   the  salutation   Artie  re- 
ceived " 190 

"  His  foot  caught  the  man  in  the  face  " 249 

Captain  Vallingham  attempting  to  escape 308 

"  '  Say,  Major,  tumble  right  down  yere  ! '  " 352 

"  He  found  himself  face  to  face  with  the  Confederate 

captain " 428 

XV 


AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 


CHAPTER   I 

A   CALL   FOR   ASSISTANCE 

"  How  many  miles  have  we  still  to  go,  Deck  ?  " 

"  Not  over  seven  by  this  road,  Artie,"  replied 
Major  Deck  Lyon,  commanding  the  first  battal- 
ion, Riverlawn  Cavalry,  of  Kentucky.  "  I  should 
think  the  surroundings  would  begin  to  look  famil- 
iar to  you,  even  if  we  have  been  away  from  home 
for  some  time." 

"  I  never  frequented  this  road,"  exclaimed  Cap- 
tain Artie  Lyon,  commanding  the  fourth  company 
of  the  Riverlawns.  "  Doesn't  it  run  into  that  cut 
where  you  saved  Kate  Belthorpe  and  the  rest  of 
her  party  from  that  gang  of  so-styled  '  Home 
Guard '  ruffians  ?  " 

"  I  believe  it  does,"  was  the  slow  response,  and 
Major  Dexter  Lyon  blushed  ;  for  although  the 
incident  referred  to  had  occurred  many  months 

1 


2  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION  , 

before,  it  was  still  fresh  in  his  mind,  as  were 
also  the  beautiful  face  and  bewitching  eyes  of 
the  maiden.  The  young  major  was  but  nineteen 
years  of  age,  and  it  could  hardly  be  said  that  he 
was  in  love,  yet  a  warm  attachment  had  sprung 
up  between  these  two  people.  "Does  your  wound 
trouble  you  in  riding,  Artie?"  he  went  on,  to 
change  the  subject,  and  thus  prevent  his  cousin 
from  teasing  him  in  his  most  susceptible  spot. 

"Not  enough  to  count."  Artie  paused  to  urge 
his  lagging  horse  ahead.  "  I  wonder  if  any  of 
Morgan's  desperadoes  are  in  this  neighborhood. 
I  understood  from  what  Captain  Ripley  said  that 
they  were  trying  to  overrun  the  whole  State.  It's 
a  pity  we  haven't  more  of  such  first-class  sharp- 
shooters around  as  he  commands." 

"  What's  the  matter  with  Life  Knox's  tall  boys, 
Artie  ?  I  reckon  they  can  shoot  about  as  well  as 
any  of  Ripley's  men,  even  though  they  are  not  as 
well  drilled.  If  I  know  anything  about  it.  Life 
is  a  whole  host  in  himself." 

"Oh,    I  agree  with  you  there,  Deck."     There 
was  another  pause  as  the  pair  of  horsemen  swung 
around  a  heavily  wooded  bend.     "What  a  pity    ^ 
father  couldn't  get  a  furlough  to  come  home  with 


A   CALL   FOR   ASSISTANCE  3 

US.  I  don't  believe  he  would  have  been  missed, 
when  the  main  body  of  the  Department  of  the 
Cumberland  is  doing  nothing  but  keeping  an  eye 
on  Bragg.  Mother  and  the  girls  would  have  been 
delighted  to  see —  Hullo,  if  there  isn't  Levi 
Bedford  coming  this  way  —  and  with  half  a  dozen 
of  the  boys  !     Something  is  up,  sure  !  " 

As  Captain  Artie  broke  off,  a  tall,  heavy-set 
man,  mounted  on  a  coal-black  horse,  burst  into 
view,  riding  at  a  high  rate  of  speed.  Behind 
the  man  came  six  stout  negroes;  and  all  of  the 
party  carried  guns,  and  the  white  man  a  pistol  in 
addition. 

"  Hi,  Levi !  "  yelled  Major  Deck,  as  soon  as  the 
party  of  seven  came  within  hailing  distance. 

"  Deck  !  "  burst  out  the  overseer  of  Riverlawn. 
"  And  Artie,  by  all  that's  fortunate !  " 

"  De  young  mars'rs  !  "  came  from  several  of  the 
colored  men.  "Proud  to  see  yo',  Mars'r  Dexter, 
an'  Mars'r  Artie  !  " 

At  this  Deck  and  Artie  smiled  on  the  slaves. 
Deck  shook  hands  with  Levi  Bedford,  and  Artie 
followed  suit.  "  Is  there  any  special  reason  for 
this  meeting  being  fortunate,  Levi  ? "  questioned 
the  major,  anxiously. 


4  AN    UNDIVIDED   UNION 

"  I  think  so,"  was  the  hasty  answer.  "  Less 
than  two  hours  ago,  and  just  after  I  had  made 
the  rounds  at  Riverlawn,  to  make  sure  that  every- 
thing was  all  right,  and  no  marauders  in  sight, 
I  received  this  note."  And  the  overseer  passed 
over  a  small  sheet  of  note-paper,  upon  which  a 
few  lines  were  written  in  pencil,  in  a  small  hand. 

"  Dear  Mr.  Bedford  :  If  you  can,  come  to  our  assist- 
ance at  once.  A  detachment  of  three  soldiers  of  Morgan's 
cavahy  has  arrived  at  Lyndhall.  One  of  the  three  is  to 
return  to  his  company  at  once  and  bring  them  here  to 
plunder  the  estate.  I  am  at  home  alone  with  my  sister 
Kate  and  three  servants.  The  negro  who  delivers  this  is  a 
stranger  to  me,  but  well  known  to  my  father. 

"Margie  Belthorpe." 

"  Kate  in  danger  !  "  The  words  left  Deck's 
lips  before  he  could  think  to  repress  them. 
"■  Levi,  we  must  not  waste  a  moment  in  getting 
to  Lyndhall !  " 

"  Just  my  idea,"  responded  the  overseer.  "  I 
didn't  lose  a  minute  in  getting  the  boys  to- 
gether, after  I  received  that.  Some  of  the  boys 
were  out  in  the  back  pasture,  rounding  up  two 
stallions  that  broke  away  ;  but  I  sent  word  for 


A   CALL   FOR   ASSISTANCE  5 

them  to  follow,  and  I  reckon  they'll  soon  be 
after  us,  four  or  five  strong." 

"  Four  more  will  give  you  eleven  men,  count- 
ing yourself.  Artie  and  I  will  make  thirteen. 
An  unlucky  number  —  for  those  ruffians,  if  we 
get  to  Lyndhall  in  time.  Forward  !  "  and  Major 
Deck  wheeled  his  horse,  followed  by  Captain 
Artie  ;  and  away  went  the  entire  party  at  the 
best  speed  their  animals  could  command. 

The  time  was  the  middle  of  the  month  of 
January,  1863,  and  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland, 
under  General  Rosecrans,  was  resting  in  and 
around  Murfreesboro.  The  long,  stubborn  fight 
at  Stone  River  had  exhausted  the  men,  and  no 
new  campaign  could  be  undertaken  until  the 
wrecked  and  burned  lines  of  communication  were 
restored,  the  army  reclothed  and  otherwise  put 
into  proper  shape,  and  the  necessary  steps  taken 
to  make  Murfreesboro  safe  as  a  new  base  of 
supplies. 

As  the  readers  of  the  former  volumes  of  this 
series  know,  the  Riverlawn  Cavalry  was  one  of 
the  first  to  be  organized  in  the  State  of  Ken- 
tucky, at  the  time  when  the  Commonwealth  was 
still    undecided   as  to  whether  it  should  remain 


b  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

in  the  Union  or  throw  its  lot  in  with  the  Con- 
federacy. The  original  body  of  men,  forming 
two  companies,  had  been  raised  very  largely  by 
Noah  Lyon,  the  father  of  Dexter,  who  had  used 
them  in  putting  down  the  lawless  uprisings  of 
the  Home  Guards  of  the  neighborhood  —  a  mob 
of  unprincipled  fellows  who,  under  the  guise  of 
wishing  to  defend  Kentucky's  neutrality  during 
the  great  conflict,  secretly  plotted  to  aid  the 
Confederacy,  and  later  on,  when  the  Common- 
wealth declared  for  the  Union,  promptly  joined 
the  ranks  of  the  Secessionists. 

From  two  companies  the  command  had  devel- 
oped to  a  full  regiment  of  twelve  companies,  of 
which  Noah  Lyon  was  colonel.  Following  his 
father  into  the  war.  Dexter  had,  by  hard  work 
and  a  bravery  which  sometimes  bordered  on  reck- 
lessness, risen  from  the  ranks  until  he  became 
senior  major,  while  his  cousin  Artie,  of  about 
Deck's  age,  had  well  earned  the  commission  of 
a  captain.  Both  had  been  wounded  more  than 
once,  Artie  rather  seriously,  and  both  were 
known  to  care  little  or  nothing  for  the  injuries 
received  in  such  a  righteous  cause. 

The  first  duty  of  the  Riverlawns  as  a  regular 


A   CALL   FOE,   ASSISTANCE  7 

military  body  had  been  to  put  down  the  raids 
of  several  bands  of  guerillas  operating  in  coun- 
ties bordering  upon,  or  near,  the  Tennessee  State 
line.  Successful  in  these,  the  command  had  be- 
come a  part  of  the  Union  army,  and  as  such 
had  taken  an  active  part  in  the  battle  of  Mill 
Springs,  or  Logan's  Crossroads,  as  it  is  some- 
times called.  After  this  had  come  a  series  of 
operations  on  and  around  Duck  River,  and  in 
the  entrenchments  before  Corinth,  and  then  had 
come  the  advance  of  Rosecrans's  forces  upon 
Murfreesboro,  ending  in  the  bloody  battle  of 
Stone  River,  which,  while  hardly  a  victory, 
caused  the  shattered  forces  of  the  Confederate 
General  Bragg  to  retreat,  and  go  into  winter 
quarters  at  Tullahoma. 

Although  each  of  the  Lyons  fought  with  the 
warmth  and  enthusiasm  of  a  true  Kentuckian, 
not  one  of  the  members  of  the  several  families 
living  at  Riverlawn  and  at  Barcreek,  a  small, 
nearby  town,  had  been  born  within  the  borders 
of  the  State.  All  hailed  from  New  Hampshire, 
and  were  Yankee  bred  as  well  as  born. 

The  original  emigrant  to  Kentucky  had  been 
Duncan   Lyon,   one    of   four   brothers,    who   had 


8  AN  UNDIVIDED   UNION 

settled  at  Riverlawn  and  made  a  comfortable 
fortune  in  raising  hemp,  tobacco,  and  horses. 
Duncan  Lyon  had  been  as  good-hearted  as  he 
was  successful,  and  under  his  care  Riverlawn 
had  become  a  model  plantation  and  stock-breed- 
ing farm,  with  Levi  Bedford  as  superintendent 
or  overseer,  and  with  fifty-one  slaves,  old  and 
young,  who  thought  "  Mars'r  Lyon  de  best 
gen'men  in  de  hull  world." 

The  next  member  of  the  family  to  come  West 
had  been  Titus  Lyon,  another  of  the  four  broth- 
ers. Titus  was  a  mason  by  trade,  and  inclined 
to  be  shiftless,  and  when  Duncan  Lyon  wrote 
that  the  mason  at  Barcreek  was  dead,  Titus  had 
very  promptly  come  on  with  his  wife,  two  sons, 
and  three  daughters.  It  had  taken  a  good  deal 
of  help  from  Duncan  to  place  Titus  on  his  feet, 
and  even  then  the  proprietor  of  Riverlawn  was 
pained  to  note  that  the  mason  was  more  inclined 
to  loaf  around  the  village,  drinking  whiskey  and 
talking  politics,  than  he  was  to  work  at  his  trade. 

During  the  times  that  Duncan  Lyon  and  Titus 
were  locating  in  Kentucky,  Noah  Lyon  was  at- 
tending strictly  to  his  farm  in  New  Hampshire, 
not  a  large  place,  but  still  one  upon  which,  by 


A   CALL   FOR    ASSISTANCE  9 

economy,  he  managed  to  earn  a  living  not  only 
for  himself,  his  wife,  and  his  two  children,  Dexter 
and  Hope,  but  also  for  the  two  children  of  his 
deceased  brother  Cyrus,  Artemas  and  Dorcas. 
From  the  time  that  Artie  and  Dorcas  came  into 
the  family  they  were  looked  upon  as  brother  and 
sister  by  Deck  and  Hope,  and  both  always  re- 
ferred to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Noah  Lyon  as  father  and 
mother. 

The  somewhat  unexpected  death  of  Duncan 
Lyon  had  proved  a  shock  to  all  his  relatives,  but 
when  Lawyer  Cosgrove,  of  Bowling  Green,  the 
county  seat,  came  forward  to  read  the  plantation 
owner's  will,  the  second  shock,  to  Titus  Lyon, 
was  even  greater  than  the  first. 

Duncan  Lyon  had  valued  his  estate  at  one 
hundred  thousand  dollars.  Riverlawn  was  put 
down  as  being  worth  twenty-five  thousand  dol- 
lars, and  this  magnificent  property,  including  all 
things  in  the  house  and  on  the  grounds  and  the 
fifty-one  slaves,  went  to  Noah  Lyon,  who  like- 
wise received  ten  thousand  dollars,  half  cash  and 
half  stocks,  for  having  taken  care  of  Artie  and 
Dorcas  since  they  had  become  orphans.  It  may 
here  be  remarked  that  Duncan  Lyon  had  been 


10  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

a  bachelor,  and  had  never  felt  capable  of  raising 
the  children  himself.  To  the  children  he  left 
one-quarter  of  his  estate,  half  cash  and  half 
stocks,  Noah  to  remain  their  guardian  until  of 
age. 

Of  the  balance  of  his  property  he  gave  to 
Titus  only  twenty-five  thousand  dollars,  from 
which  amount  was  to  be  deducted  a  note  for 
five  thousand,  leaving  the  mason  twenty  thou- 
sand dollars,  half  cash  and  half  in  stocks.  All 
the  stocks  to  be  divided  were  named  in  a  sched- 
ule, so  there  might  be  no  disputes. 

As  might  be  supposed,  Titus  Lyon  was  very 
angry  over  the  provisions  of  his  brother's  will, 
thinking  that  Riverlawn  should  have  been  set- 
tled upon  himself.  When  Noah  Lyon  gave  up 
his  home  in  the  East  to  take  charge  of  River- 
lawn,  Titus  did  not  call  upon  him  for  several 
days,  and  for  some  time  after  that  the  unreason- 
able mason  talked  about  being  swindled  out  of 
five  thousand  dollars,  he  thinking  he  ought  to 
have  had  half  of  the  ten  thousand  given  to  Noah 
for  supporting  Cyrus's  children,  although  he  had 
never  lifted  a  hand  to  assist  the  orphans. 

With  the  breakinsf  out  of  the   war  Titus  had 


A   CALL   FOR   ASSISTANCE  11 

been  in  his  element.  Strange  as  it  may  seem,  he 
had  sided  with  the  South  in  the  struggle,  and 
had  even  gone  so  far  as  to  spend  a  large  amount 
of  money  in  equipping  a  company  of  Home 
Guards,  of  which  he  was  to  be  captain.  But  the 
arms  and  ammunition,  hidden  away  in  a  cavern, 
had  been  discovered  by  Artie  and  Deck  who  had 
turned  them  over  to  Noah  Lyon,  for  use,  later 
on,  by  the  Unionists.  This  confiscation  of  prop- 
ert}'"  had  made  matters  even  worse  between  the 
two  families,  and  for  a  long  while  Titus  and  his 
two  sons  were  very  bitter.  They  entered  the 
Confederate  service  much  against  the  wishes  of 
Titus's  wife,  and  while  serving  under  the  stars 
and  bars  one  of  the  sons,  Orly,  was  killed  and 
Titus  was  taken  prisoner. 

His  own  capture  and  the  killing  of  Orly, 
coupled  with  the  fact  that  Sandy,  the  older  son, 
was  nearly  starved  while  in  the  Southern  ser- 
vice, produced  a  profound  impression  upon  Titus 
Lyon.  While  a  prisoner  he  gave  up  drinking 
and  signed  the  pledge.  Then  when  Sand}^  sud- 
denly left  the  Confederate  service  to  enlist  on 
the  Union  side  under  his  Uncle  Noah,  he  began 
to  study   the   situation,    and  he    wrote   to  Noah 


12  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

that  he  had  seen  the  error  of  his  ways  and  was 
now  for  the  Union,  once  and  forever.  Later  on 
he  was  released,  and  he  joined  the  Riverlawns, 
to  become  adjutant  of  the  regiment  in  which 
Sandy  was  now  a  second  lieutenant  of  the  fifth 
company,  second  battalion,  the  battalion  being 
commanded  by  Major  Tom  Belthorpe,  of  Lynd- 
hall  and  the  company  by  Captain  Gadbury,  a 
dashing  young  soldier,  who  was  far  more  atten- 
tive to  Margie  Belthorpe  than  Deck  Lyon  had 
ever  dared  to  be  to  her  younger  sister. 

There  had  been  but  one  thing  concerning  Dun- 
can Lyon's  will  which  had  excited  much  curiosity 
when  the  document  was  read  and  when  the  law- 
yer having  the  matter  in  hand  had  had  his  say. 
This  was  concerning  the  fifty-one  negroes  installed 
at  Riverlawn.  Noah  Lyon  was  requested  not  to 
part  with  any  of  them.  Furthermore,  the  heir  to 
the  plantation  was  left  a  sealed  letter  which  was 
not  to  be  opened  until  five  years  later.  The  Lyons 
sometimes  imagined  the  contents  of  the  letter 
concerned  the  disposition  of  the  slaves,  but  they 
had  no  positive  information  on  the  point. 


CHAPTER   II 

AN   UNEXPECTED   SET-BACK 

Deck  Lyon  was  mounted  on  his  famous  horse 
Ceph,  so  nicknamed  after  the  even  more  famous 
charger  ridden  in  ancient  days  by  Alexander  the 
Great.  The  young  major  had  trained  Ceph  from 
ponyhood,  and  rider  and  beast  understood  each 
other  perfectly.  On  more  than  one  occasion  Ceph 
had  performed  in  a  truly  wonderful  fashion  on  the 
battlefield,  and  once,  when  being  promoted,  Deck 
had  declared  that  the  honor  of  the  occasion  rested 
with  his  equine  comrade  and  not  himself. 

As  the  small  body  of  whites  and  negroes  moved 
onward  in  the  direction  of  the  Belthorpe  j)lanta- 
tion,  Deck  took  the  lead,  with  Artie  and  the 
faithful  Levi  close  behind  him.  In  the  rear  came 
the  armed  slaves  riding  in  two  ranks  of  three  men 
each.  The  men  could  hardly  be  termed  soldiers, 
yet  during  the  time  that  Noah  Lyon  had  been 
away  from  Riverlawn  the  overseer  had  drilled 
them   thoroughly,   both  in   horsemanship  and  in 

13 


14  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION  ^ 

carbine  practice,  and  they  were,  consequently,  a 
long  way  removed  from  raw  recruits.  Moreover, 
upon  the  occasion  of  the  attack  upon  Riverlawn, 
they  had  been  under  fire  and  had  not  flinched,  so 
it  was  known  that  they  could  be  depended  upon 
even  in  a  hazardous  emergency. 

Even  without  such  a  fine  bit  of  horseflesh  under 
him.  Deck  would  have  been  anxious  to  go  to  the 
front.  The  note  received  by  Levi  filled  him  with 
alarm,  and  in  his  mind  all  sorts  of  troublesome 
thoughts  ran  riot.  The  Belthorpe  sisters  were  at 
home  alone,  two  of  Morgan's  guerillas  were  in 
possession  of  Lyndhall,  and  a  whole  company 
were  soon  expected.  What  indignities  might  not 
the  sisters  suffer,  not  to  say  anything  of  the  con- 
fiscation and  ruin  of  Mr.   Belthorpe's  property? 

"  This  is  certainly  rough  on  Kate,"  observed 
Artie,  as  he  advanced  to  his  cousin's  side.  "  We 
ought  to  have  Captain  Gadbury  with  us  —  for 
Margie's  sake." 

"  If  only  those  ruffians  don't  attempt  to  carry 
Margie  and  Kate  off,"  half  groaned  the  major, 
biting  the  lip  upon  which  a  faint  mustache  was 
beginning  to  show.  "I  suppose  the  major  would 
be  at  Lyndhall,  only  father  didn't  think  it  wise  to 


AN   UNEXPECTED    SET-BACK  15 

let  SO  many  officers  off  at  one  time.  Levi,  what 
did  the  negro  who  delivered  the  note  have  to 
say?" 

"Nothing." 

"  Not  a  word  ?  "  queried  Artie. 

"  Absolutely  not  a  word  —  and  for  the  best 
reason  in  the  world  :  he  was  deaf  and  dumb," 
and  the  overseer  smiled  broadly.  "  I  tried  to 
question  him,  but  he  only  shook  his  head  and 
pointed  to  his  tongue." 

"  Humph  !  I  didn't  know  there  was  a  deaf  and 
dumb  negro  around  Lyndhall,"  mused  Deck. 
"  Forward,  boys,  we  mustn't  lag  !  "  he  shouted  to 
the  ranks  in  the  rear. 

"  We's  comin',  Mars'r,  jest  as  fast  as  we  kin 
come!  "  answered  the  servant  called  General,  who 
was  the  "high  private  "  of  the  occasion.  "  Come, 
don't  yo'  go  fo'  to  drap  behind,  Clinker!  "  he 
cried  out  to  the  heaviest  man  of  the  crowd,  the 
blacksmith  and  horseshoer  at  Riverlawn. 

"  Ain't  drappin'  behind,"  growled  Clinker. 
"  I'll  git  to  Lyndhall  afore  yo'  do,  yo'  don't  look 
out,"  and  away  he  galloped  after  Deck  and  the 
others. 

The  day  was  frosty  but  clear,  an  ideal  one  for  a 


16  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION  » 

ride,  and  mile  after  mile  was  passed,  between  the 
now  almost  barren  fields,  and  through  long  groves 
of  leafless  trees.  The  horses  from  Riverlawn  had 
always  been  boasted  of  as  being  the  best  in  that 
section  of  the  country,  and  now  they  were  proving 
their  worth. 

The  mansion  home  of  the  Belthorpes  stood  near 
the  road,  with  the  plantation  extending  to  both 
sides  and  to  the  rear.  At  a  distance  up  the  high- 
way upon  which  Major  Deck  and  the  others  were 
travelling  was  a  grove  of  walnut  trees,  and  as 
soon  as  this  grove  was  reached  the  young  com- 
mander of  the  forces  called  a  halt. 

"  We  don't  want  to  run  into  an  ambush,"  he 
explained  to  Levi  and  Artie.  "  For  all  we  know 
to  the  contrary,  that  whole  company  of  guerillas 
may  be  in  possession  of  Lyndhall,  and  if  they  have 
got  wind  of  the  fact  that  word  has  been  sent  out 
for  assistance,  it  may  go  hard  with  us,  if  we  are 
caught  napping.  I'll  go  on  a  scout,  and  if  the 
coast  is  clear  I'll  come  back  and  tell  you.  If  I 
get  into  trouble  a  couple  of  pistol  shots  will 
notify  you." 

To  carry  out  his  object,  the  major  dismounted 
and   turned   Ceph   over   to  one  of   the  servants. 


AN   UNEXPECTED   SET-BACK  17 

Then,  examining  his  pistol  to  see  that  it  was  in 
proi^er  condition  for  use,  he  struck  out  boldly, 
along  a  path  which  ran  through  the  walnuts  and 
came  up  over  a  lawn  fringed  by  magnolias,  to 
the  south  of  the  mansion. 

Deck  did  not  slacken  his  pace  until  the  mag- 
nolias were  reached.  Here,  from  an  opening,  he 
looked  toward  the  house.  Not  a  soul  was  in 
sight,  and  pistol  in  hand,  he  crept  along  the  line 
of  trees  until  he  was  within  fifty  feet  of  a  side 
veranda. 

At  this  moment  the  door  to  the  veranda  opened 
and  a  girl  stepped  out,  clad  in  a  house  dress,  with 
a  cape  thrown  around  her  shoulders  and  a  worsted 
shawl  caught  over  her  head  in  bonnet  fashion. 
Deck  did  not  have  to  look  twice  to  convince  him- 
self that  the  girl  was  Kate  Belthorpe. 

"  Kate!  "  he  cried,  softly  and  half  involuntarily. 
"Kate!" 

The  girl,  hearing  his  voice,  stopped  short  and 
stared  around  her  in  amazement.  Then,  as  he 
waved  his  hand  to  her,  she  ran  down  the  steps  of 
the  veranda,  and  reaching  him,  almost  embraced 
him. 

"  Oh,  Deck!     Why  I  —  I  didn't  know  you  were 


18  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION  » 

coming  here!"  she  stammered,  with  a  blush. 
"Are  you  home  on  a  furlough?" 

"  Yes  —  fortunately,  Kate,"  he  answered,  re- 
membering that  they  had  kissed  before,  yet  hardly 
daring  to  do  so  now  —  since,  to  him  at  least,  his 
intentions  were  becoming  serious.  "I  —  I  trust 
they  haven't  harmed  you  and  Margie  any  ? 
Where  are  the  ruffians  ?  Have  the  whole  com- 
pany arrived  yet?" 

The  girl  started  and  stared  at  him.  "  Why, 
Deck,  what  are  you  talking  about?  I  know 
nothing  of  any  ruffians." 

The  major  was  nearly  dumfounded  by  this 
announcement.  "You  don't  know?"  he  queried 
slowly.  "  Then  wliat  does  this  mean  ?  Levi 
Bedford  received  it  less  than  three  hours 
ago." 

It  took  but  a  moment  for  Kate  Belthorpe  to 
master  the  contents  of  the  note.  "  I  don't  know 
what  it  means,"  she  said.  "  I  don't  believe 
Margie  ever  wrote  it.  Come  in,  she  is  in  the 
sitting  room,  writing  a  letter  to  brother  Tom." 

With  his  mind  in  a  whirl  the  young  major 
followed  Kate  into  Lyndhall  mansion.  Margie 
was  found  as  described,  and  was  equally  astonished 


AN"  UNEXPECTED   SET-BACK  19 

to  see  him.  The  situation  was  explained,  and  she 
glanced  at  the  note. 

"  It  is  a  forgery,  and  is  not  even  in  my  hand- 
writing. Deck,"  she  said  quickly.  "  There  is 
some  underhanded  work  here." 

"  Yes,  and  I  know  what  it  is !  "  cried  Deck. 
"  That  note  was  penned  with  the  intention  of 
getting  Levi  and  the  negroes  away  from  River- 
lawn.  My  father's  place  may  even  now  be  suffer- 
ing an  attack.  I  must  get  home  without  an 
instant's  delay!  " 

"Oh,  I  trust  you  are  mistaken,  Deck!"  mur- 
mured Kate,  her  beautiful  eyes  filling  with  tears. 
"  What  will  your  mother  and  your  sisters  do  ?  " 

"  Heaven  alone  knows,  Kate,"  he  answered,  his 
voice  growing  curiously  husky.  "Artie  and  I 
were  going  home  when  we  met  Levi  and  six  of 
the  slaves  on  the  road.  Four  or  five  other  slaves 
were  to  follow,  so  it  is  safe  to  say  that  out  of 
about  fifteen  men  who  can  use  firearms  two-thirds 
are  now  away  from  Riverlawn  and  awaiting  me 
in  the  walnut  grove  just  below  here.  Good-by  1 " 
and  he  held  out  his  hand. 

"  Good-by,  and  take  care  of  yourself !  "  burst 
in  Margie,  and  gave  him  a  warm  brotherly  kiss. 


20  AJSr  UNDIVIDED   UNION  , 

Seeing  this,  Kate  did  not  hold  back,  and  Deck 
sped  from  the  mansion  with  the  warm  contact  of 
her  sweet  lips  still  haunting  him. 

But  now  was  no  time  for  sentiment,  however 
delightful  it  might  prove,  and  the  young  major 
burst  into  the  grove  all  out  of  breath  with 
running. 

"  Quick,  to  Riverlawn ! "  he  shouted,  as  he 
leaped  again  into  the  sadiile.  "  We  have  not  a 
moment  to  lose!  The  note  was  a  decoy,  to  get 
Levi  and  the  others  to  leave  our  house.  Pray 
Heaven  we  may  reach  there  before  mother  and  the 
others  are  subjected  to  insult,  or  before  any 
damage  is  done !  " 

"A  decoy!"  gasped  Levi  Bedford.  He  could 
scarcely  believe  his  ears.  "  Then  that  negro  was 
not  dumb,  I'll  wager!  Boys,"  he  turned  to 
the  slaves,  "  did  any  of  you  see  that  fellow  who 
brought  Mrs.  Lyon  the  note  this  morning?" 

"'Deed  I  did,  sah  ! "  came  from  Clinker. 

"  So  did  I,  sah,"  put  in  Woolly,  another  of  the 
body. 

"  Did  either  of  you  hear  him  speak  ?  " 

Clinker  shook  his  head.  Woolly,  however, 
smiled   shrewdly.     "I  dun  racken  I  did,  Mars'r 


AN  UNEXPECTED   SET-BACK  21 

Bedford,  when  he  crossed  de  creek  bridge.  But 
I  dunno  wot  he  said,  fo'  I  was  a  right  smart  step 
off." 

"  It  doesn't  matter  what  he  said,"  replied  Levi. 
He  turned  to  Deck.  "  You  are  right.  I  have 
been  badly  fooled,  and  don't  deserve  to  hold  the 
position  with  which  your  father  entrusted  me  — 
that  of  taking  care  of  his  family  and  his  property." 

"  Don't  blame  yourself,  Levi,"  Deck  hastened 
to  say,  seeing  how  bad  the  overseer  felt.  "  You 
did  what  you  thought  was  right,  and  what  I 
should  have  done  under  the  circumstances. 
The  best  we  can  do  is  to  get  over  the  ground 
just  as  lively  as  we  can,  and  if  you  know  of 
any  short  cuts  to  take,  so  much  the  better." 

They  were  already  going  ahead  at  full  speed. 
Deck  and  Levi  in  the  lead  and  Artie  and  the 
negroes  following  as  rapidly  as  possible.  "  I 
was  thinking,  we  might  take  tbe  trail  through 
Charwell  meadow  —  the  ground  is  stiff  enough  to 
hold  horseflesh,"  observed  the  manager  of  River- 
lawn.  "  But  that  may  make  us  miss  the  four 
or  five  fellows  who  were  to  follow  us,  and  if 
anything  is  wrong  at  Riverlawn,  we  may  want 
all  the  help  v/e  can  gather." 


22  AN    UNDIVIDED   UNION  » 

"  How  mucli  will  the  Charwell  trail  shorten 
the  ride  ?  " 

"A  good  mile  and  three-quarters,  possibly 
two  miles,  if  the  ground  at  the  lower  end  is 
hard." 

"  Then  let  us  take  that  short  cut,  all  but 
Clinker,  who  can  take  the  regular  road  and 
turn  back  the  second  detachment  as  soon  as  it 
comes  up,"  answered  the  young  major,  uncon- 
sciously speaking  in  military  terms,  as  was  now 
his  usual  habit. 

"  Good !  You've  got  a  long  head  —  just  as 
you  always  had !  "  cried  Levi,  and  in  a  minute 
more  Clinker  was  instructed  into  the  new  order 
of  things.  Shortly  after  this  the  others  left 
the  road  and  took  to  a  well-defined  trail  run- 
ning through  a  woods  and  then  across  the 
meadow  previously  described.  At  the  end  of 
the  meadow  the  party  came  out  upon  the  road 
running  almost  parallel  with  the  creek,  but  at 
a  considerable  distance  above  the  spot  where 
the  bridge  to  Colonel  Lyon's  domain  was  located. 

"  Halt  I  "  cried  Deck,  as  the  horsemen  reached 
the  edge  of  the  clearing.  "-Don't  show  your- 
selves until  I  give  the  order." 


AlSr   UNEXPECTED    SET-BACK  23 

"  I  think  Levi  and  I  ought  to  go  forward 
with  you,  Deck,"  interposed  Artie,  who  was 
thinking  of  his  sister,  as  well  as  of  his  Aunt 
Ruth  and  his  Cousin  Hope. 

"Well,  you  can  go;  but  we  must  be  careful 
not  to  expose  ourselves  to  the  euemj^,"  was  the 
ready  reply  of  the  major,  who  had  unconsciously 
taken  command  of  the  expedition. 

"  Supposing  we  separate,"  went  on  Artie. 
"  One  can  go  up  to  the  bridge,  one  down  to 
where  the  logs  are  usually  tied  up,  and  one 
over  to  the  bend.  That  will  give  us  three 
points  of  observation." 

"  Right  you  are,  Artie.  General  Thomas 
couldn't  have  planned  it  better,"  answered  Deck. 
"  I'll  go  to  the  bridge,  and  you  can  go  down  to 
the  logs.     Levi,  is  there  a  raft  handy?" 

"  There  is,  just  above  the  logs,  and  there  is 
a  canoe  up  at  the  bend.  We  used  it  day  before 
yesterday,  when  Faraway  and  I  went  over  and 
came  back  by  the  bridge." 

"  Then  it  will  be  an  easy  matter  for  us  to 
make  an  advance  all  along  the  line.  What  of 
Fort  Bedford  ? "  continued  the  major,  referring 
to  the  ice-house  which,  during  the  early  troubles 


24  AN  UNDIVIDED   UNION 

at  Riverlawn,  had  been  turned  into  an  arsenal. 
The  so-styled  fort  was  built  along  the  creek, 
almost  opposite  the  point  where  the  logs  and 
the  raft  rested. 

"  It's  still  there,  but  it  contains  little  outside 
of  a  few  guns  and  two  boxes  of  ammuni- 
tion." 

"I  was  thinking,  if  those  rascals  are  here, 
and  the  worst  comes  to  the  worst,  it  will  be 
a  good  thing  if  we  can  take  possession  of  the 
fort,  and  use  it  in  defending  my  mother  and 
the  girls  and  ourselves." 

"  If  the  coast  is  clear,  I'll  move  for  the  fort 
without  delay,"  said  Artie.  ''  One  man  can 
hold  that  place,  if  the  doors  and  the  port- 
holes are  properly  secured." 

"  That's  so,  but  don't  do  anything  rash,  Artie," 
said  Deck,  gravely.  "  Remember  what  Ripley 
said  —  those  guerillas  of  Morgan's  are  the  worst 
cut-throats  Kentucky  has  ever  seen." 

"  Artie  might  wait  until  I  can  help  him," 
suggested  Levi.  "  If  the  fort  isn't  occupied 
now,  it  won't  take  long  to  get  the  boys  over 
to  it  in  the  canoe  and  with  a  small  raft  in 
tow." 


AN   UNEXPECTED    SET-BACK  25 

And  so  it  was  arranged  that  the  young  cap- 
tain should  wait  on  the  movements  of  the  over- 
seer, and  this  decided,  the  three  set  off  on  their 
various  missions. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  ENCOUNTERS  AT  THE  BRIDGE  AND  ON 
THE  RAFT 

At  the  time  of  which  I  write  the  name  of 
Morgan's  Cavalry  was  already  known  through- 
out the  length  and  breadth  of  Kentucky,  and 
those  of  the  inhabitants  who  were  on  the  side 
of  the  Union  heard  of  his  coming  to  one  neigh- 
borhood or  another  with  dread. 

When  the  boys  in  blue  were  refitting  at  Nash- 
ville, late  in  the  year  1862,  Morgan,  having  made 
several  raids  in  Kentucky,  though  hardly,  as  yet, 
any  of  consequence,  determined  to  visit  the  State 
once  more,  taking  with  him  the  pick  of  the  Con- 
federate cavalry  of  this  section  of  our  country. 
His  first  engagement  was  with  a  few  companies 
of  Michigan  troops,  on  the  24th  of  December, 
where  he  suffered  a  loss  of  seventeen  men.  On 
Christmas  Day  came  an  engagement  near  Mun- 
fordsville,  and  then  the  notorious  leader  attacked 
the  stockade  at  Bacon  Creek.  A  vigorous  resist- 
26 


ENCOUNTERS  AT  BRIDGE  AND  ON  THE  RAFT   27 

ance  was  made,  but  the  explosion  of  a  number 
of  shells  within  the  enclosure  made  a  surrender 
necessary,  and  this  was  followed  by  the  burning 
of  the  bridge  across  Bacon  Creek,  after  which 
Morgan  advanced  to  Nolan,  where  another  bridge 
was  destroyed. 

The  march  of  the  cavalry  was  now  turned 
toward  Elizabethtown,  and  here  a  fierce  fight 
occurred  between  the  Confederates  and  a  body  of 
six  hundred  infantry  under  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Smith,  which  lasted  six  hours.  The  infantry 
could  do  but  little  against  the  superior  numbers 
of  the  cavalry,  although  fighting  valorously,  and 
in  the  end  Morgan  gained  his  point  and  began  a 
march  along  the  railroad,  destroying  everything 
in  sight  as  he  advanced. 

It  had  been  hoped  by  Bragg  that  Morgan's 
raid  would  help  the  cause  of  the  South  a  great 
deal ;  but  the  sudden  movement  of  Rosecrans 
from  Nashville  to  Murfreesboro  dimmed  the 
glory  considerably.  On  the  29th  of  December 
Morgan  was  attacked  at  Rolling  Fork  on  Salt 
River  and  driven  to  Bardstown,  from  which 
point  he  began  to  make  his  slow  but  certain  re- 
treat from  the  State. 


28  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

Captain  Ripley,  Deck's  friend  of  the  sharp- 
shooters, had  called  Morgan's  cavalry  cut-throats. 
This  was  an  appellation  common  in  those  days, 
but  it  is  hardly  justifiable.  But  there  is  no 
doubt  that  a  portion  of  the  raiders  were  men  of 
low  moral  character,  and  these  fellows,  when  for- 
aging, thought  it  no  more  than  right  to  confis- 
cate everything  in  sight.  In  the  neighborhoods 
strong  in  Union  sentiment  whole  plantations  were 
laid  waste,  and  the  women  and  children  made  to 
suffer  untold  indignities. 

It  has  been  said  that  Morgan  himself  had  left 
the  State.  This  was  true,  but  numerous  detach- 
ments of  the  cavalrymen  remained,  some  under 
captains  and  lieutenants  who  held  no  commis- 
sions in  the  Confederate  army,  and  these  were 
mixed  up  with  guerillas,  —  lawless  bodies,  —  who, 
while  pretending  to  fight  for  the  Southern  cause, 
thought  only  of  murder  and  plunder.  For  these 
latter  bodies  Morgan  was  not  responsible,  yet 
they  were  spoken  of  everywhere  as  Morgan's 
Raiders. 

From  the  very  start  of  hostilities  there  had 
been  a  strong  sentiment  in  Barcreek  and  vicinity 
against   the   dwellers   at    Riverlawn.      Here    the 


ENCOUNTEES  AT  BRIDGE  AND  ON  THE  KAFT   29 

first  Union  cavalry  companies  had  been  formed, 
and  from  this  house  a  father  and  two  sons  (Artie 
was  always  called  the  colonel's  son)  had  gone 
forth.  More  than  this,  Colonel  Lyon  had  de- 
clared that  all  he  possessed  should  go  to  uphold 
the  Union  cause  were  it  needed.  Those  of  Con- 
federate tendencies  had  muttered  against  this, 
and  ever  since  the  first  attack  on  Riverlawn 
had  been  repulsed,  numerous  "fire-eaters"  had 
longed  for  a  chance  to  "get  square." 

Deck  thought  of  all  these  things  as  he  moved 
from  the  shelter  of  the  clearing  along  the  creek 
in  the  direction  of  the  bridge.  From  one  source 
and  another  he  had  learned  of  a  score  of  men 
of  the  vicinity  joining  Morgan's  Raiders,  and  he 
felt  certain  now  that  these  fellows  would  be 
found  among  those  bent  on  the  looting  of  his 
father's  estate. 

The  young  major  could  not  get  his  mind  away 
from  a  certain  rowdy  of  Barcreek  who  rejoiced 
in  the  name  of  Gaffy  Denny.  At  a  Union  meet- 
ing held  at  the  schoolhouse  when  the  war  began, 
Deck  had  refused  this  man  admittance  to  the 
building,  even  when  the  ruffian  drew  a  bowie- 
knife,  and  had  caused  the  fellow  to  decamp  by 


30  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION  * 

showing  his  pistol.  Since  this  time  he  had  heard 
twice  from  Denny  —  first  that  he  had  joined  tlie 
guerilhis  operating  throughout  the  county,  and 
again  that  he  was  trying  to  pay  his  addresses 
to  Dorcas,  who,  it  may  readily  be  imagined, 
would  have  nothing  to  do  with  him.  Dennj^  was 
a  man  of  thirty-five,  a  "  hoss  "  trader  when  he 
worked,  which  was  but  seldom,  and  as  sly  and 
nervy  as  he  was  unprincipled. 

"  If  Gaffy  Denny  is  in  this,  he  shall  hear  from 
me,"  murmured  the  major,  as  he  worked  his  way 
along  the  creek's  shore.  There  was  a  low  fringe 
of  brush  overhanging  the  water,  and  he  skulked 
behind  this,  passing  the  few  breaks  encountered 
by  crawling  on  his  chest  through  the  grass.  His 
progress  was  necessarily  slow,  and  it  took  five 
minutes  to  reach  the  bridge,  although  the  dis- 
tance from  the  clearing  was  not  more  than  an 
eighth  of  a  mile. 

From  behind  the  brush  he  had  more  than 
once  looked  over  in  the  direction  of  the  man- 
sion.    Not   a   soul   had   appeared   in   sight,    and 

had   he   not  known    otherwise,   he    would    have 

< 

said  that  the  homestead  was  deserted. 

When   within   half   a   rod   of   the  bridge    the 


ENCOUNTERS  AT  BRIDGE  AND  ON  THE  RAFT   31 

major  halted,  for  a  slight  movement  behind  the 
tree  overshadowing  the  bridge  seat — that  seat 
where  his  father  and  Uncle  Titus  had  once  so 
bitterly  quarrelled  —  had  attracted  his  atten- 
tion. 

"  Was  that  a  squirrel  or  a  man's  hat  ? "  was 
the  question  he  asked  himself,  when  the  view 
of  something  else  answered  the  question.  The 
new  object  to  come  into  view  was  the  elbow  of 
a  man,  and  the  shining  barrel  of  a  gun  followed. 

"  A  guard,  I'll  wager  my  commission,"  was 
Deck's  thought.  "  I  wonder  if  he  is  alone  and 
if  I  can  capture  him  single-handed." 

The  major,  having  led  the  way  into  many  a 
hot  fight,  was  not  the  one  to  hang  back  in  such 
an  emergency  as  this.  Even  while  wondering 
if  the  man  on  the  bridge  was  alone,  he  hurried 
forward,  keeping  the  tree  between  himself  and 
the  individual.  The  bridge  was  gained  and  the 
tree  was  but  three  yards  off  when  a  partly  loose 
plank  tipped  up,  making  enough  noise  to  attract 
the  attention  of  the  man,  who  leaped  forward, 
pointing  his  gun  as  he  came. 

"  Halt !  "  he  spluttered,  but  the  word  was  still 
on  his  lips  when  Deck  ducked,  caught  the  gun 


32  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

barrel  with  his  left  hand,  and  with  his  right 
levelled  his  pistol  full  into  the  sentinel's  face. 

"  Surrender,  or  you  are  a  dead  man ! "  com- 
manded Major  Deck,  sternly.  "  Let  go  of  the 
gun." 

The  fellow,  taken  completely  by  surprise, 
hesitated,  as  if  inclined  to  argue  the  point. 
"Wha — what?"  he  stammered.  "See  yere,  this 
ain't  fair,  nohow  !  " 

"  Let  go,  or  I'll  fire,"  was  Deck's  only  answer, 
and  he  fingered  the  trigger  of  his  revolver  ner- 
vously. 

In  a  second  more  he  had  the  gun  in  his  posses- 
sion, and  then  he  compelled  the  man  to  throw  up 
both  hands.  "  Now  march  up  the  road  away  from 
the  bridge,"  he  continued.  "  And  no  treachery, 
or  I'll  put  a  ball  through  you  on  the  spot." 

"  I  reckon  I  have  fell  in  with  Deck  Lyon,"  said 
the  sentinel,  with  a  sickly  grin,  as  he  moved  on  as 
the  major  had  commanded. 

"  I  am  Deck  Lyon ;  but  I  don't  know  you, 
although  I've  seen  you  at  Bowling  Green.  What 
do  they  call  you  ?  " 

"  They  call  me  Sergeant  Hank  Scudder  in  our 
company." 


Surrender,  or  Vou  are  a  Dead  Man!" 

Page  32. 


ENCOUNTERS  AT  BRIDGE  AND  ON  THE  RAFT   33 

,"  And  what  company  is  that?" 

"  Cap'n  Casswell's  command  —  unattached." 

"  Casswell's  guerillas,  eh  ?  " 

"  We  ain't  guerillas  —  we  belong  to  the  boys 
in  gray." 

"■  Does  your  captain  hold  a  commission  from 
headquarters  ?  " 

"  'Tain't  fer  me  to  answer  thet  question, 
Major." 

"From  the  fact  that  you  refuse  to  answer  it,  I 
infer  that  he  does  not;  consequently  he  is  nothing 
but  a  guerilla,  and  worse,  and  you  are — " 

"  Hold  on,  Major,  don't  be  too  hard  on  a  poor 
fellow  who  has  his  living  to  make." 

"  This  isn't  making  a  living — it's  stealing  one. 
Tell  me  truthfully,  is  Gaffy  Denny  with  your 
company  ?  " 

"  Gaffy  Denny  is  first  leftenant.  Major." 

"  Where  are  the  others  ?  " 

"Somewhere  around  the  house  and  barns." 

"  How  long  since  you  arrived  here  ?  " 

"  'Bout  an  hour  and  a  half  ago." 

"  How  many  are  there  here  ?  Answer  me 
truthfully,  or,  my  word  for  it,  I  and  my  friends 
will  hang  you  to  one  of  yonder  trees." 


34  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

"Got  many  friends  with  yer,  Major?"  , 

"  Enough.  Now  answer  my  question,"  and 
again  Deck's  weapon  came  up  on  a  level  with  the 
guerilla's  head. 

"There  air  twenty-five  on  us,  I   reckon." 

"  Were  you  the  only  man  left  on  guard  ?  " 

"  I  dunno." 

"  Who  put  you  on  guard  ?  " 

"  Lef tenant  Denny." 

"  Isn't  Captain  Casswell  in  command  ? " 

"  No,  the  cap'n  was  shot  down  in  a  skirmish 
three  days  ago  —  back  of  Edmonton,  and  he's 
laying  at  the  house  of  a  friend  ten  miles  from 
yere." 

While  talking  the  pair  had  moved  across  the 
road,  and  now  Deck  turned  his  jjrisoner  in  the 
direction  of  the  clearing.  Soon  they  came  in 
sight  of  General,  Clinker,  and  one  other  of  the 
slaves. 

"  The  first  prisoner,  General,"  said  the  young- 
officer.  "  Have  you  anything  with  which  to  bind 
him  ?  " 

"  Look  yere.  Major,  this  ain't  handsome  !  "  cried 
Sergeant  Hank  Scudder,  in  alarm. 

"  Handsome  or  not,  you  can  thank  your  stars 


ENCOUNTERS   AT   BRIDGE   AND    ON   THE   KAFT       35 

that  I  didn't  shoot  you  dead  on  the  bridge," 
rejoined  Deck.     "How  about  a  cord,  General?" 

"  We  dun  got  one,  Mars'r  Deck,"  answered  the 
slave,  and  producing  it  he  and  Clinker  soon 
bound  the  guerilla's  hands  behind  him,  after 
which  the  rope  at  his  wrists  was  passed  around  a 
stout  tree. 

Deck's  next  movement  was  in  the  direction  of 
the  raft,  for  nothing  was  to  be  seen  of  Artie,  and 
he  was  anxious  to  know  how  the  young  captain 
was  faring.  He  had  hardly  reached  the  pile  of 
logs  to  which  the  raft  was  moored,  when  a  sharp 
cry  rang  out  on  the  frosty  air. 

"Help!  General,  Woolly,  Clinker!  Help!" 
There  followed  another  cry,  and  leaping  through 
the  brush  and  onto  the  logs  Deck  saw  his  cousin 
battling  manfully  in  a  hand-to-hand  conflict  with 
two  rough  men  in  gray,  one  of  whom  was  trying 
to  possess  himself  of  the  captain's  sabre. 

In  such  an  emergency  Major  Deck  did  not  hesi- 
tate as  to  a  proper  course  of  action.  Had  the 
men  been  regular  Confederates  he  would  have 
been  justified  in  shooting  at  them  ;  being  guerillas 
he  felt  himself  even  more  justified.  He  took  care- 
ful aim  and  fired,  and   the  rascal  who  had   just 


36  AN    UNDIVIDED   UNION  ? 

wrenched  the  sabre  from  Artie's  grasp  fell,  shot 
through  the  thigh,  an  ugly  wound  though  not  a 
fatal  one. 

Surprised  at  the  counter-demonstration  thus 
made,  the  second  guerilla  turned  to  see  from  what 
direction  the  shot  had  come.  Giving  him  no 
chance  in  which  to  take  in  the  situation,  Deck 
fired  a  second  time,  the  bullet  whistling  past  the 
man  in  gray's  shoulder.  With  a  yell  the  fellow 
started  to  retreat  from  the  'logs,  slipped  on  the 
wet  and  frost-covered  surface  beneath  him,  and 
rolled  over  and  over  until  he  went  with  a  loud 
splash  into  the  creek,  not  to  reappear  upon  the 
surface  of  the  icy  current  until   fifty  feet  away. 

"  Artie,  are  you  hurt?  "  demanded  Deck,  as  he 
watched  the  man  who  had  gone  overboard. 

"  N — no,  but  th — that  man  nearly  choked  the 
life  out  of  me,"  was  the  answer,  with  a  cough. 
"  Don't  let  him  get  away,"  and  the  young  captain 
nodded  toward  the  guerilla  who  was  making  for 
the  plantation  side  of  the  creek. 

"He  shan't  get  away."  Deck  elevated  his 
voice  and  his  shooter  at  the  same  time.  "  Come 
back  here,  unless  you  want  a  hole  put  through 
your  head  !  "  he  called  out. 


ENCOUNTERS  AT  BRIDGE  AND  ON  THE  RAFT   37 

To  this  the  guerilla  did  not  reply.  But  he  kept 
on  swimming,  and  seeing  this  both  Deck  and 
Artie  fired.  A  yell  of  pain  was  the  answer  to  the 
shots,  and  the  man  turned  around. 

"  Are  you  coming  back  ?  "  demanded  Deck. 

"  Yes  !  yes  !  don't  shoot  ag'in  !  "  came  with 
something  like  a  groan. 

The  wounded  man  on  the  logs  was  writhing  in 
pain,  but  nothing  could  be  done  for  him  just  now, 
and  Deck  and  Artie  watched  the  man  in  the 
water.  "  I'm  a  goner  !  "  came  from  the  individ- 
ual of  a  sudden,  and  throwing  up  both  arms  he 
disappeared  from  view. 

For  the  instant  Deck  stared  blankly  and  Artie 
looked  at  him.  "  Was  that  a  genuine  move,  or 
is  he  shamming?  "  questioned  the  captain. 

"  I  take  it  he  is  shamming,"  answered  the  ma- 
jor. "  I  don't  believe  he  was  badly  wounded  at 
all.      Wait,"  and  he  continued  to  watch. 

In  half  a  minute  the  body  of  the  guerilla  ap- 
peared, a  hundred  feet  below  the  logs.  "  Turn  back 
here,  or  I'll  put  a  bullet  through  your  body  for 
luck !  "  sang  out  Deck,  and  raised  his  pistol  again. 

"  Don't  !  don't  !  "  came  the  quick  reply.  "  I'll 
come  —  don't  hit  me  ag'in,  Cap'n  !  " 


38  AN    UNDIVIDED   UNION 

In  less  than  five  minutes  after  tliis  the  guerilla 
was  on  the  raft  once  more.  Deck  was  on  the 
point  of  marching  him  up  into  the  grove  by 
the  creek  road  when  Levi  Bedford  came  up  in 
the  canoe,  demanding  to  know  what  the  several 
shots  meant.  He  was  highly  pleased  to  think 
that  three  men  had  already  been  put  out  of  the 
contest. 

"I've  discovered  the  guerillas  moving  around 
at  the  back  of  the  mansion  and  around  the  largest 
of  the  barns,"  he  said.  "  Now  that  you  have 
used  your  pistols  the  best  thing  to  do,  in  my 
opinion,  is  to  get  over  to  the  fort  and  take  pos- 
session of  it." 

"  You  are  right,"  returned  Deck.  "  Let  us  go 
over  on  the  raft,  as  first  proposed  ;  but  General 
can  come  around  by  the  bridge  and  bring  all  of 
the  horses,  or  keep  them  where  they  will  be 
handy  in  case  they  are  wanted.  We  ought  not 
to  give  these  guerillas  the  least  chance  to  escape." 

The  General  was  called  from  his  hiding-place 
and  matters  were  explained.  While  he  went  off 
with  the  horses,  Levi  Bedford  led  the  way  to  the 
raft  and  unmoored  her,  fastening  the  painter  to 
the  stern  of  the  canoe,  which,  though  so  called, 


ENCOUNTERS  AT  BRIDGE  AND  ON  THE  RAFT   39 

was,  as  old  readers  already  know,  really  a  round- 
bottom  rowboat.  The  overseer,  Deck,  and  Artie 
entered  the  canoe,  the  first  two  at  the  oars,  wliile 
the  slaves  deposited  themselves  on  the  raft,  doing 
what  they  could  to  aid  their  progress  over  the 
stream  by  means  of  several  sweeps  which  had 
been  picked  up. 


CHAPTER   IV 

A  PIEST    VICTORY   OVER   THE   ENEMY 

It  may  be  asked  why  a  rush  was  not  made 
upon  the  mansion  and  barns,  instead  of  the 
stealthy  advance  now  under  way.  The  answer 
to  this  is,  Deck  and  the  others  knew  that  the 
force  to  be  encountered  was  larger  than  their  own, 
and  probably  just  as  well,  if  not  better,  armed. 
Moreover,  the  young  major  felt  that  some  of  the 
guerillas  must  be  on  the  lookout  from  the  man- 
sion, and  an  advance  across  the  lawn  in  front  and 
to  one  side,  or  the  meadow  to  the  rear  and  the 
other  side,  could  only  have  been  accomplished 
after  a  serious  loss  of  life.  The  guerillas  of  Ken- 
tucky were  for  the  most  part  "dead-shots,"  and 
the  youthful  commander  was  not  inclined  to  risk 
his  men  in  the  open  against  their  superior  num- 
bers. 

The  creek  at  the  point  where  the  raft  had  been 
moored  was  between  sixty  and  seventy  feet  wide, 
consequently  the  journey  to  the  other  side  did 

40 


A   FIRST   VICTORY   OVER   THE   ENEMY  41 

not  occupy  over  five  minutes,  even  though  the 
raft  was  an  unwieldy  thing  to  handle.  As  soon 
as  they  were  near  enough  to  do  so,  all  hands 
leaped  into  the  meadow  grass,  and  started  on  a 
rush  for  Fort  Bedford. 

Bang  !  bang  !  bang  !  The  three  shots  in  rapid 
succession  came  from  the  rear  of  the  largest 
barn,  and  Deck  felt  something  rush  through  his 
cap  and  his  hair  beneath.  A  groan  came  from 
Clinker,  who  was  struck  in  the  side.  The  negro 
staggered  but  kept  on,  his  eyes  rolling  and  star- 
ing from  a  pain  that  was  new  to  him. 

"  'Tain't  much,  I  reckon,"  he  panted,  in  reply  to 
Levi  Bedford's  question.      "  Anybuddy  else  hit  ?  " 

Nobody  was,  and  without  halting  to  return  the 
fire  they  pressed  on.  Soon  they  were  under  the 
shelter  of  the  ice-house,  as  dark  and  silent  as 
the  rest  of  the  plantation  had  previously  appeared. 

"  I  left  it  locked  up,"  explained  Levi  Bedford, 
when  Artie  gave  a  cry  as  he  caught  sight  of  the 
door.  The  heavy  slabs  of  wood  had  been 
smashed  in  with  a  stout  log  used  as  a  battering- 
ram,  and  a  hasty  search  revealed  the  fact  that 
the  arms  and  ammunition,  the  overseer  had  men- 
tioned, liad  been  carried  away. 


42  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

As  the  party  passed  into  the  building  several 
more  shots  were  fired  at  them,  but  the  bullets 
merely  found  resting-places  in  the  woodwork  or 
flattened  themselves  on  the  stone  walls.  Levi 
Bedford  now  saw  one  of  the  shooters  near  the 
edge  of  the  barn  and  fired  his  rifle,  but  whether 
or  not  the  shot  took  effect  he  could  not  ascertain. 

"  Well,  we  are  here,"  said  Artie,  after  Clinker's 
wound  had  been  examined  and  dressed.  "The 
question  is,  what's  next  ?  " 

Deck  silently  counted  their  forces  again.  As 
General  was  absent,  they  numbered  but  eight  in- 
cluding himself.     He  shook  his  head  seriously. 

"  We  are  but  eight,  and  if  that  captured  ras- 
cal is  to  be  believed  they  have  three  times  that 
number,"  he  said. 

"  But  our  other  negroes  must  be  around  some- 
where," said  Artie,  "  and  they'll  need  some  men 
to  guard  the  women  folks,  —  unless  they  have 
locked  them  up,  —  or  —  or  —  " 

"  Or  done  away  with  them,"  finished  Deck, 
bitterly.  "  P^or  myself,  I  am  ready  to  make  a 
dash  forward,  be  the  consequence  what  it  may. 
But  I  can't  ask  it  of  you  and  the  slaves,"  and 
he  turned  to  the  overseer. 


A    FIRST    VICTOKY    OVER   THE   ENEMY  43 

"  I'll  do  whatever  you  think  best,  Major," 
responded  Levi,  warmly.  "  But  supposing  I  go 
out  with  a  flag  of  truce  and  learn  what  they 
have  to  say  ?  " 

"  Hadn't  I  better  go  along  ?  "  asked  Deck,  eagerly . 

"If  you  wish  —  yes." 

A  handkerchief  was  soon  tied  to  a  stick,  and, 
leaving  Artie  in  command  of  the  armed  slaves, 
the  young  major  and  the  overseer  sallied  forth, 
waving  the  flag  of  truce  over  their  heads. 
They  started  toward  the  mansion,  but  before 
half  the  distance  was  covered  a  loud  and  rough 
voice  from  the  barn  called  upon  them  to  halt, 
and  they  halted. 

"  Come  this  way  with  thet  rag !  "  was  the 
next  order.  "  If  ye  go  to  the  house  we'll  open 
fire  on  ye  !  " 

As  there  seemed  no  help  for  it.  Deck  and 
Levi  turned  toward  the  barn.  While  still  a 
hundred  feet  from  the  building  they  were  or- 
dered to  halt  again,  and  then  a  man  in  gray, 
wearing  a  tangled  beard  of  black,  with  matted 
hair  to  match,  came  forth  to  greet  them. 

"  Well  ? "  he  demanded  laconically,  as  the 
major  and  the  overseer  paused. 


44  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

"  Dan  Wolfall,  what  does  this  mean  ? "  de- 
manded Levi,  recognizing  the  individual  as  a 
former  citizen  of  Barcreek,  and  one  who  had 
left  "  between  two  days "  because  of  a  horse 
stealing  which  had  been  laid  at  his  door. 

Wolfall  grinned,  thereby  showing  a  set  of 
uneven  yellow  teeth,  much  the  worse  for  con- 
stant tobacco  chewing.  "  I  reckon  as  how  it 
means  we-uns  is  in  persession  o'  this  yeve  plan- 
tation," he  answered  slowly,  shifting  his  quid 
from  one  jaw  to  the  other. 

"  Whom  do  you  mean  by  we-uns  ? "  asked 
Deck. 

"  Me  an'  the  rest  o'  Captain  Casswell's  com- 
pany o'  Confederates,  sonny.  Say,  you  feel  big  in 
them  sodger  clothes,  don't  ye  ?  "  Wolfall  asked, 
with  another  grin. 

"  Do  you  know  that  you  are  liable  to  be 
shot  down  or  hung  as  outlaws  ?  "  went  on 
Deck. 

"  Reckon  we  air  jest  as  liable  ter  be  shot 
down  as  Confed'rates,  ain't  we  ?  " 

"  Such  men  as  you  would  be  a  disgrace  even 
to  the  Confederacy,  Wolfall,"  interposed  Levi 
Bedford,  his  honest   eyes   flashing  fire.     "  Years 


A   FIRST   VICTORY   OVER   THE   ENEMY  45 

ago  Duncan  Lyon  saved  you  from  a  long  term 
in  prison,  and  this  is  how  you  reward  his 
brother  and  his  nephews." 

"Don't  preach,  Bedford,  I  ain't  ust  to  hearin' 
on  it.  Times  is  changed,  an'  if  the  Lyonses  is 
gwine  to  take  a  stand  ag'in  the  best  interests  o' 
this  State,  why  they  hev  got  to  take  the  conse- 
quences, thet's  all." 

"  Kentucky  has  declared  for  the  Union  and 
we  are  on  the  right  side,"  said  Deck.  "  Let  us 
come  to  an  understanding  of  the  situation. 
What  have  you  done  with  my  mother  and  my 
two  sisters  ?  " 

"  I  reckon  Leftenant  Denny  has  'em  safe, 
sonny.  Them's  nice  clothes,  sonny,  but  a  gray 
suit  would  look  a  heap  sight  better." 

"  Are  they  still  at  the  mansion  ?  " 

"  They  air  onless  the  leftenant  has  took  'em 
away." 

"  What  do  you  propose  to  do  here  ?  " 

"Enjoy  ourselves,  sonny." 

"  Which  means  that  you  are  going  to  confis- 
cate all  our  stores  and  steal  our  valuables." 

"  As  you  please,  sonny.  If  yer  come  only 
to  abuse  such  gents  as  we  air,  better  be  gittin' 


46  AN -UNDIVIDED   UNION 

back,  sonny,"  and  now  the  Kentucky  guerilla 
tapped  his  horse  pistol  significantly. 

"  How  many  are  there  of  you  ? "  went  on 
Deck,  hardly  able  to  resist  keeping  his  hands 
from  the  ruffian. 

"Twict  as  many  as  half,  sonny.  Is  thet  all 
ye  want  ter  know  ?  " 

"  I  see  you  are  not  inclined  to  meet  me 
fairly,"  continued  Deck,  sternly.  "  1  order  you 
to  leave  this  place  at  once." 

"Ain't  obeyin'  orders  jest  now,  sonny." 

"  Very  well ;  then  you  and  your  comrades  in 
this  raid  must  take  the  consequences  if  you  are 
captured.  Moreover,  my  men  and  I  will  shoot 
you  down  like  dogs  if  we  get  the  chance,"  and 
Deck  turned  back,  followed  by  Levi. 

"  Thet  shootin'  won't  be  all  one-sided  !  " 
called  the  guerilla  after  the  pair,  and  disap- 
peared into  the  barn. 

When  the  major  and  the  overseer  returned 
to  Fort  Bedford,  Artie  wished  to  know  imme- 
diately what  had  been  accomplished. 

"Nothing,"  answered  Deck,  his  face  clouded  in 
perplexing  thoughts.  He  was  almost  "  stumped," 
although  he  did  not  care  to  admit  it. 


A     FIRST    VICTORY    OVER    THE    ENEMY  47 

A  shout  was  now  heard  along  the  creek,  and 
looking  from  the  fort  those  within  saw  five  col- 
ored men  standing  at  the  clearing.  They  were 
the  slaves  that  had  followed  the  first  detach- 
ment to  Lyndhall.  With  the  colored  men  were 
three  whites,  farmers  living  in  the  vicinity  who 
had  called  at  Lyndhall  on  business  and  who 
had  been  persuaded  by  Margie  and  Kate  to  join 
in  the  defence  of  Riverlawn. 

"  Eight  more  guns,"  said  Artie.  "  That  gives 
us  sixteen  all  told.  Hang  me,  if  I'm  not  in  for 
making  a  rush  !  " 

Deck's  face  began  to  brighten.  "  Levi,  how 
many  men  do  you  think  are  at  the  barn  ?  " 

"  I  saw  four  looking  from  behind  the  doors," 
answered  the  overseer.  "  Those  with  Wolfall 
made  five.  I  don't  believe  there  were  any 
more." 

"Then  I'll  tell  you  what  I'll  do,"  went  on 
the  young  commander.  "As  secretly  as  I  can, 
I'll  recross  the  creek  and  join  the  men  in  the 
clearing.  I'll  bring  them  around  to  the  meadow 
by  the  road,  and  along  the  berry  bushes  at  the 
other  side  of  the  lawn.  There  will  be  nine  of 
us,  and  as  soon  as  we  are  in  a  position  to  attack 


48  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

the  barn,  I'll  fire  two  shots  in  quick  succession. 
Then  you  must  make  a  demonstration  against 
the  house.  But  be  careful  that  it  doesn't  cost 
you  any  lives." 

Both  Levi  and  Artie  were  quick-witted  enough 
to  see  the  advantage  of  Deck's  plan  and  readily 
agreed  to  it.  Without  the  loss  of  a  moment  the 
major  left  the  fort,  crawling  on  his  hands  and 
knees  through  the  grass  to  the  creek. 

Here  the  canoe  and  the  raft  were  found  as 
they  had  been  left.  Detaching  the  boat  from 
the  logs,  he  leaped  in,  and  crouching  low,  sculled 
for  the  opposite  shore  with  all  speed.  He  was 
taking  a  big  risk  and  knew  it,  and  expected 
every  instant  to  receive  a  shot  from  the  enemy. 

But  none  came,  thanks  to  Levi,  who,  calculat- 
ing the  time  he  would  be  thus  exposed,  ran  to 
the  opening  of  the  fort  and  called  on  several 
to  do  the  same.  As  no  good  chance  for  an 
aim  was  given,  the  guerillas  did  not  open  with 
their  guns,  but  they  kept  their  eyes  on  the 
fort,  and  the  creek  was  for  the  time  being 
neglected. 

On  reaching  the  edge  of  the  clearing.  Deck 
did  not   lose  a  moment,  but   hurried   the   slaves 


A  FIKST   VICTORY   OVER   THE   ENEMY  49 

and  the  white  men  back  to  the  road  and  to  the 
bushes  lining  the  upper  side.  As  they  marched 
along  on  the  double  quick  he  explained  the 
situation  to  Ralph  Bowman,  Sandran  Dowleigh, 
and  Carson  Lee,  the  three  farmers,  all  natives 
of  the  county,  and  all  Union  men  to  the  core. 

"  They  ought  to  be  wiped  out,"  said  Bowman, 
with  a  vigorous  nod  of  his  head.  "  I  know 
Wolfall  and  Denny  well,  and  a  rope  over  a 
tree  is  the  medicine  they  need." 

"  I've  got  my  Long  Sam  with  me,"  put  in 
Carson  Lee,  tapping  his  long  rifle  affectionately. 
"  Just  let  me  get  one  peep  at  Denny  or  Wolfall, 
thet's  all."  Lee  was  a  crack  shot,  and  on  more 
than  one  occasion  had  taken  the  first  prize  at 
target-shooting. 

It  took  the  best  part  of  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
to  reach  the  meadow  Deck  had  mentioned. 
Here  there  was  a  slight  rise  of  ground,  beyond 
which  stood  the  barn.  From  their  position 
only  the  top  of  the  structure  could  be  seen. 
Crawling  Indian  fashion  to  the  top  of  the  rise, 
the  major  inspected  the  situation  again.  As 
before,  not  a  soul  was  in  sight. 

Before  moving  forward  he  had   stationed   one 


50  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

of  the  slaves  some  distance  closer  to  the  man- 
sion. The  man  was  armed  with  a  double-bar- 
relled gun,  and  as  Deck  waved  his  handkerchief 
two  reports  rang  out,  the  signal  agreed  upon. 
Hardly  had  the  echo  of  the  gun  died  away 
than  Levi,  Artie,  and  the  others  emerged  from 
the  fort,  and  began  moving  around  the  meadow 
toward  the  front  of  the  house. 

The  demonstration  did  just  Avhat  was  expected. 
Several  men  appeared  at  the  mansion  windows, 
to  tire  in  vain  at  the  detachment  from  the  fort, 
they  keeping  pretty  well  out  of  range.  From 
the  barn  poured  the  five  guerillas  counted  by 
Levi,  anxious  to  learn  if  their  services  were 
needed  elsewhere. 

By  this  time  Deck's  command  was  at  the  top 
of  the  rise,  and  tlie  major  called  on  his  men  to 
take  careful  aim  and  fire,  discharging  his  pistol 
at  the  same  moment.  Carson  Lee  picked  out 
Wolfall  and  the  ruflian  dropped  like  a  log,  shot 
through  the  head.  Two  of  the  others  went 
down,  one  hit  in  the  arm  and  the  other  in  the 
side.  The  two  remaining  stopped  in  perplexity, 
not  knowing  whether  to  return  to  their  original 
shelter  or  run  for  the  mansion. 


A    FIRST    VICTORY    OVER    THE    ENEMY  51 

"  Charge  ! "  cried  Major  Deck,  rushing  for  the 
barn  with  all  the  swiftness  of  his  youthful  legs. 
"  Come  on,  boys ;  don't  let  one  of  them  get 
away  !  "  And  he  continued  to  fire  as  he  advanced, 
finally  succeeding  in  hitting  one  of  the  remaining 
pair  of  guerillas  in  the  calf  of  the  leg,  a  painful 
though  not  a  serious  wound.  Seeing  the  turn  of 
affairs,  the  last  ruffian,  also  wounded,  sped  for  the 
mansion  as  though  a  legion  of  demons  were  after 
him.  Those  who  had  reloaded  gave  the  fellow 
half  a  dozen  shots,  but  he  was  not  hit  again,  and 
tumbled  pell-mell  up  the  veranda  steps  and 
through  a  doorway  opened  hastily  to  afford  him 
entrance. 

"  A  first  victory  and  without  a  single  loss,"  said 
Deck,  as  sheltered  by  the  big  barn  he  began  to 
reload  his  pistol,  while  the  others  also  looked  after 
their  weapons. 

"  Don't  kill  us  !  "  came  in  a  groan  from  one  of 
the  wounded  —  the  man  the  major  had  hit. 

For  reply  Deck  pointed  his  pistol  at  the 
ruffian's  head.  "  You  deserve  to  die,  but  I'll  let 
up  on  you  on  one  condition  —  tell  me  exactly 
how  many  men  there  are  in  the  mansion." 

"  I  don't  know.  Major.    There  were  twenty-two 


62  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION        * 

of  US  at  the  start,  including  tlie  five  we  had  here. 
I  think  three  men  were  posted  on  the  road  and 
along  the  creek." 

"  One  man  has  returned  to  the  house  ;  the 
others  are  out  of  the  fight,"  said  Deck,  turning  to 
Lee.  "That  leaves  exactly  fifteen  guerillas  in 
the  mansion.     We  number  sixteen." 

"  That's  so  ;  but  they  are  well  fortified,"  inter- 
posed Sandran  Dowleigh,  who  had  not  gone  to 
war  because  he  was  subject  to  fits,  but  who,  never- 
theless, took  a  lively  interest  in  military  matters. 
"  They  will  mow  us  down  like  wheat  if  we  dare  to 
make  a  rush." 

"  I  will  consult  with  Levi  Bedford  and  Artie 
before  we  make  another  move.  Keep  your  eyes 
open  while  I  am  gone,"  said  the  major,  and  moved 
off  in  a  roundabout  way  for  Fort  Bedford. 


CHAPTER   V 

TWO   FLAGS   OF   TRUCE 

The  first  battle,  if  such  it  might  be  called,  had 
been  fought  and  won.  Four  of  the  guerillas  had 
been  put  out  of  the  contest,  one  forever,  and  one 
had  escaped  to  the  mansion.  The  contest  had 
been  entirely  one-sided,  for  the  ruffians  had  not 
had  time  left  to  them  in  which  to  fire  so  much  as 
a  single  charge. 

But  though  the  present  victory  had  been  gained 
quickly  and  with  ease.  Deck  knew  that  the  work 
still  cut  out  for  himself  and  his  command  would 
prove  much  more  difficult  and  dangerous.  The 
guerillas  in  the  mansion  would  be  on  a  close  watch, 
and  it  would  go  hard  with  any  one  imprudent 
enough  to  advance  within  reasonable  shooting 
distance. 

By  the  time  the  major  had  gained  the  fort  those 
intrusted  with  the  work  of  making  a  demonstra- 
tion had  returned  to  the  shelter  of  the  stone  walls. 
No  injury  had  been  done,  and  Artie  and  the  over- 

63 


54  ,  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

> 

seer  had  had  their  hands  full  in  keeping  the  slaves 
from  rushing  directly  for  the '  mansion  regardless 
of  consequences,  especially  when  it  was  noted 
that  four  men  had  gone  down  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  barn. 

"Fifteen  still  left,"  mused  Levi,  when  Deck 
had  spoken.  "  We  can  go  them  one  better, 
but—" 

"It  makes  a  big  difference  where  the  fifteen 
men  are  located,"  said  Artie.  "  Five  might  hold 
the  mansion  against  us  —  if  they  were  good  shots 
and  wide-awake." 

"If  only  I  knew  mother  and  the  girls  were  safe, 
I  would  play  them  a  waiting  game,"  said  Deck, 
taking  a  long  breath.  "They'll  think  we  have 
sent  for  reenforcements  and  will  want  to  make 
terms,  sooner  or  later." 

"  We  can  send  off  for  reenforcements  !  "  cried 
Artie.  "  Clinker  can  rouse  out  every  Unionist 
within  two  miles  of  here." 

"  He  would  not  find  many,"  answered  Levi. 
"  The  majority  are  off  to  the  war." 

"  One  thing,  it  will  be  dark  soon,"  went  on 
Deck.  "  We  can  move  up  pretty  close  then,  for 
there  won't  be  much  moonlight." 


TWO    FLAGS    OF    TRUCE  65 

"  But  what  of  mother  and  the  girls  in  tlie  mean- 
time ?  "  questioned  the  young  captain. 

"  I  don't  believe  they  will  dare  harm  them," 
said  the  overseer.  "  They  know  that  if  they  did, 
and  were  caught,  every  one  of  'em  would  swing  for 
it.  Denny  may  try  to  get  a  bit  sweet  on  Miss 
Dorcas,  but  I  reckon  she  can  hold  her  own. 
Those  guerillas  —  " 

"  Hark  !  "  interrupted  Deck.  "  Somebody  is 
screaming  for  help  !      It  is  Dorcas  !  " 

He  rushed  to  the  door  of  the  fort,  followed  by 
Levi  and  Artie.  It  was  Dorcas,  true  enough. 
The  girl  had  just  come  out  on  the  mansion  porch 
and  was  trying  to  get  away  from  a  guerilla  who 
held  her. 

"  That  is  Gaffy  Denny  !  "  ejaculated  the  major, 
drawing  his  pistol  once  more.  "  Hi,  you  rascal, 
leave  her  alone  !  "  and  regardless  of  consequences 
he  started  across  the  meadow  for  the  lawn  front- 
ing the  porch. 

"Deck,  save  me  !  "  came  in  faint  tones  from 
Dorcas.     "  Oh,  save  me  !  " 

"  I  will  !  "  was  the  reply.  And  Deck  increased 
his  speed,  bounding  over  the  meadow  trenches 
with  an  agility  that  would  have  done  credit  to  a 


56  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

trained  athlete.  He  had  barely  gained  the  lawn 
when  Dorcas  broke  from  Gaffy  Denny's  grasp 
and  fled  down  the  porch  steps  toward  him.  At 
the  same  time  Hope  appeared,  followed  by  Mrs. 
Lyon  and  several  guerillas  who  had  been  in  the 
act  of  transferring  the  lady  prisoners  from  one 
room  of  the  mansion  to  the  other. 

The  sight  of  his  mother  pursued  by  these  ruf- 
fians excited  Deck  to  the  highest  degree,  and 
without  a  thought  of  the  danger  he  continued 
on  his  course  until  within  a  hundred  feet  of  the 
porch.  Then  he  fired  at  Gaffy  Denny  and  saw  the 
guerilla  clap  his  left  hand  over  his  right  shoulder, 
showing  that  he  had  been  struck.  Denny  had 
scarcely  made  the  movement  when  Levi  Bedford 
fired  and  the  temporary  leader  of  the  guerillas 
pitched  headlong  on  the  grass,  not  to  rise  again. 

The  fall  of  Denny  caused  the  men  behind  him 
to  pause,  and  as  they  stood  on  the  porch  Artie 
opened  on  them  and  another  fellow  was  slightly 
wounded.  Then  came  half  a  dozen  gun  and 
pistol  reports,  and  Deck  felt  himself  hit  across 
the  left  side  of  the  neck.  The  bullet  left  nothing 
more  than  an  ugly  scratch,  from  which  the  blood 
flowed  freely. 


TWO   FLAGS   OF   TRUCE  57 

But  now  the  prisoners  from  the  mansion  had 
come  up  to  their  would-be  rescuers,  and  catching 
sight  of  the  blood,  Hope  fainted  in  Artie's  arms. 
Mrs.  Lyon  staggered  toward  Deck,  while  Levi 
caught  Dorcas  by  the  hand.     ' 

"My  son,  you  are  wounded,"  gasped  the 
mother.      "  Oh,  what  shall  we  do  ?  " 

"It's  not  much,  mother,"  answered  Deck. 
"  Come,  give  me  your  arm  and  we'll  get  back  to 
the  fort,"  and  catching  hold  of  his  parent  he 
urged  her  in  the  direction  of  the  meadow.  At 
the  same  time  Artie  caught  up  Hope  and  fol- 
lowed, with  Levi  and  Dorcas  by  his  side. 

The  overseer  was  the  only  man  of  the  party 
who  was  not  handicapped,  for  the  major  did  not 
dare  let  go  of  his  mother  for  fear  she  would  sink 
down.  Levi  turned  quickly,  and  as  the  men  on 
the  porch  prepared  to  fire,  pulled  trigger  twice, 
wounding  one  additional  guerilla. 

But  now  came  a  volley  from  the  mansion  win- 
dows, and  the  overseer  was  struck  in  the  arm.  A 
second  volley  was  about  to  follow,  when  a  yell 
arose  from  the  meadow  and  the  slaves  under 
Clinker  came  on,  shooting  as  well  as  they  could 
on  the  run.     The  windows  of  the  mansion,  now 


58  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

wide  open,  received  considerable  attention,  and 
two  guerillas  were  noted  to  fall  back  with  yells 
of  either  fright  or  pain. 

Deck  got  one  more  chance  to  fire,  and  then  had 
to  turn  all  of  his  attention  to  his  mother,  who 
was  so  out  of  breath  she  could  no  longer  move. 
"  My  brave  boy,  save  yourself  !  "  she  gasped. 
"  Save  yourself  !  And  save  Hope  and  Dor- 
cas !  " 

"  I  won't  leave  you,  mother  dear,"  he  returned 
tenderly,  and  picked  her  up  despite  her  protests. 
He  was  soon  following  Artie  to  the  fort,  with 
Dorcas  running  by  his  side,  while  Levi  remained 
behind  to  take  command  of  the  slaves  and  cover 
the  retreat.  From  around  the  back  of  the 
meadow  came  those  left  by  the  major  at  the  barn, 
thinking  a  regular  attack  on  the  mansion  had 
been  made. 

Mrs.  Noah  Lyon  was  no  light  load,  and  when 
Deck  gained  the  shelter  of  the  fort  he  was  ready 
to  drop  with  his  burden.  Finding  the  most  com- 
fortable seat  the  place  afforded,  he  deposited  his 
precious  load  upon  it  and  fanned  her  with  his 
soldier  cap.  Hope  was  just  reviving  and  was 
soon  able  to  take  care  of  lierself. 


TWO    FLAGS    OF    TKUCE  69 

"  Oh,  how  thankful  I  am  we  have  escaped  from 
those  ruffians  !  "'  cried  Dorcas,  almost  ready  to 
cry  in  her  excitement.  Then  she  knelt  down  in 
front  of  her  aunt  —  that  aunt  who  had  for  years 
been  a  mother  to  her.  Hope  joined  the  group, 
and  tears  flowed  down  every  feminine  cheek. 

"  Keep  watch  here,  Artie  !  "  called  out  Deck, 
when  he  saw  that  all  was  well  for  the  time  being, 
and  as  the  young  captain  nodded,  the  major 
leaped  out  into  the  open  once  more.  The  battle 
between  those  in  the  mansion  and  those  on  the 
edge  of  the  lawn  was  waxing  hot,  and  he  felt 
that  he  was  needed. 

A  great  load  was  lifted  from  his  mind,  now  he 
knew  his  mother  and  the  girls  were  safe,  and  he 
felt  that  he  could  endure  almost  anything.  Tak- 
ing a  short  cut  by  leaping  over  a  ditch  some  ten 
feet  wide,  he  came  up  in  front  of  Carson  Lee  and 
the  others  from  tlie  barn.  Lee  had  already  been 
firing,  at  long  range,  and  the  man  subject  to  fits 
declared  he  had  dropped  one  guerilla  stationed  at 
an  attic  window. 

"  It  is  best  that  we  divide  our  forces,"  said 
Deck.  "  Levi  can  take  care  of  those  under  him. 
We   will   take   the   opposite   side   of   the   house. 


60  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

There  are  two  magnolias  over  there  —  just  the 
spot  for  such  a  sharpshooter  as  you,  Lee." 

"  Co-rect,  lead  on  and  I'll  follow,"  answered 
Carson  Lee,  with  a  grin,  for  nothing  pleased  him 
more  than  to  have  his  marksmanship  praised. 
Soon  the  entire  party  was  making  another  de- 
tour, while  Levi's  men  fell  back  gradually  to  a 
safe  position  in  a  dry  trench  near  the  centre  of 
the  meadow  —  a  trench  begun  in  the  spring  but 
never  connected  with  the  creek. 

When  the  major's  party  reached  the  magno- 
lias, Lee  and  another  of  the  farmers  climbed  into 
the  branches,  taking  care,  however,  to  keep  the 
main  trunks  of  the  trees  between  themselves  and 
the  mansion.  The  others  collected  underneath, 
also,  on  the  sheltered  sides. 

"  Levi  and  the  niggers  have  fallen  back  to  a 
ditch  in  the  meadow,"  announced  Lee,  a  minute 
later.  "All  the  guerillas  have  gone  into  the 
house." 

"  An'  there  ain't  a  head  to  be  seen  at  the  win- 
ders," finished  Dowleigh,  the  other  man  in  the 
tree.  "  Reckon  they  have  gone  in  fer  a  parley 
among  themselves." 

"•  We  have  them  where  the  hair  is  good  and 


TWO   FLAGS   OF   TRUCE  61 

long  now,"  said  Deck,  smiling.  "  Not  one  of 
them  can  leave  the  house  without  being  seen." 

"  How  about  to-night.  Major  ?  "  laughed  Bow- 
man. 

"  As  soon  as  it  gets  dark  we  can  draw  closer, 
and  throw  a  guard  completely  around  the  place. 
But  I  imagine  we'll  hear  from  them  before  that 
—  now  the  ladies  have  escaped." 

"How  so?"  asked  Bowman,  with  interest. 

"  As  long  as  they  held  the  ladies  they  thought 
they  could  make  terms  when  they  pleased.  Now, 
the  case  is  different,  and,  in  my  opinion,  they  will 
try  to  make  terms  before  we  have  a  chance  to 
send  for  aid  with  which  to  wipe  them  out,  as  the 
saying  goes." 

"  Don't  ye  make  no  terms,"  burst  in  Carson 
Lee.     "They  don't  deserve  'em." 

"  We'll  see  what  they  have  to  say,  if  they 
do  come  out,"  concluded  the  major. 

The  best  part  of  half  an  hour  passed,  and  dur- 
ing that  time  everybody  placed  his  weapon  in 
proper  lighting  trim  again.  Lee  took  one  shot 
at  a  face  which  appeared  at  a  bedroom  window 
and  received  a  shot  in  return,  but  neither  took 
effect.     Evidently  the  guerillas  were  on  the  alert. 


62  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION  * 

"  I  told  jou  SO !  "  Deck  felt  like  saying,  when 
the  side  door  of  the  mansion  opened  and  a  man 
waved  a  white  towel  toward  them.  But  the 
major  remained  silent,  and  the  man  advanced 
cautiously  to  the  edge  of  the  veranda.  Then 
the  young  commander  waved  his  handkerchief 
in  return,  and  marched  up  the  lawn  to  inter- 
view the  ruffian  with  the  flag  of  truce. 

The  fellow  was  an  ugly  looking  customer,  over 
six  feet  tall,  thin,  and  with  a  face  horribly  pox- 
marked.  He  came  swaggering  up  to  within  five 
yards  of  Deck  and  halted. 

"  Say,  don't  yer  think  this  game  has  been  played 
long  enough  ?  "  he  grunted  rather  than  asked. 

"Entirely  too  long,"  answered  Deck,  briefly. 
He  had  not  yet  forgotten  the  manner  in  which 
he  had  been  addressed  at  the  barn. 

"  We-uns  is  ready  ter  make  terms  if  yer  don't 
ask  the  earth,"  continued  the  tall  guerilla,  swing- 
ing his  lanky  arms  into  a  fold.  "  Wot  do  yer 
say  to  it  ?  " 

"  I  think  you  had  better  make  terms." 

"  Oh,  we  ain't  so  terribully  skeered.  Major. 
But  makin'  terms  might  suit  better  all  around, 
thet's  all." 


TWO   FLAGS   OF   TRUCE  63 

"  Well,  what  do  you  propose  ?  " 

"  This.  You-uns  let  us  withdraw  on  our 
hosses  to  the  road  an'  give  us  half  a  mile  start, 
an'  we-uns  will  leave  everything  in  the  house 
jest  as  we  found  it." 

"  And  if  I  refuse  ?  " 

"  Then  we'll  burn  the  hull  shebang  to  the 
ground  and  take  wot  comes  arfterward,"  ex- 
claimed the  guerilla,  vehemently,  and  added  an 
expression  I  would  not  care  to  transcribe  to  these 
pages. 

"  Do  you  know  what  will  come  ?  " 

"  A  fight  most  likely,"  and  the  guerilla 
shrugged  his  bony  shoulders. 

"  Yes,  and  a  heavy  one,  if  our  reenf orcements 
arrive  in  time.  And  as  commander  here  I'll 
promise  you  that  if  you  harm  the  house  or  its 
contents  in  the  least,  every  man  captured  shall 
be  hung  to  yonder  trees  as  an  incendiary  and 
thief." 

"  Ye  can't  do  thet  —  not  to  Conf ed'rit  sodgers, 
Major." 

"  I  don't  recognize  you  as  Confederates.  You 
are  simply  outlaws." 

"  'Tain't  so  ;  we  —  "     The  guerilla  paused  and 


64  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION  * 

began  to  think  of  the  instructions  which  had 
been  given  him.  "  Wot  kind  o'  terms  air  you 
calkerlatin'  ter  make,  Major  ? "  he  asked,  in  a 
milder  tone. 

"  I  want  all  in  the  house  to  surrender,  and  if 
you  do  I'll  simply  hand  you  over  to  the  county 
authorities  and  they  can  do  with  you  as  they 
think  best.  But  each  of  you  must  swear  to 
leave  Riverlawn  alone  in  the  future." 

"  The  boys  won't  agree  on  thet  —  I  know  they 
won't." 

"  They  can  do  as  they  please  ;  you  have  my 
terms,"  returned  Deck,  curtly. 

"Yer  won't  treat  us  as  simple  prisoners  o' 
war  ?  " 

"  No ;  for  such  you  are  not.  Neither  your 
captain  nor  your  lieutenant  holds  fw  commission 
signed  by  the  Confederate  authorities." 

The  guerilla  paused  as  if  to  say  more.  Then 
tossing  his  shaggy  head  he  walked  back  to  the 
mansion,  while  Deck  joined  his  command  at  the 
magnolias. 

"  Bowman,  you  can  do  a  big  thing  for  me  if 
you  will,"  he  said,  calling  the  farmer  aside,  and 
he  explained  a  little  ruse  which  had  just  popped 


TWO   FLAGS   OF   TRUCE  65 

into  his  head.  The  scheme  made  Bowman  laugh 
heartily,  and  he  at  once  departed  to  carry  it 
out,  taking  one  of  the  negroes  with  hjm. 

It  was  just  growing  dusk  when  the  farmer 
reached  the  vicinity  of  tlie  creek  bridge.  Call- 
ing on  Woolly,  the  negro,  to  march  by  his  side, 
he  quickly  crossed  the  roadway,  in  plain  sight 
of  the  mansion.  He  parsed  from  one  thicket  to 
another,  and  as  soon  as  he  was  out  of  sight 
turned  back  and  went  through  the  same  per- 
formance again.  This  he  repeated  a  score  of 
times,  sometimes  going  alone  and  again  with 
Woolly.  This  accomplished,  he  told  the  negro 
to  move  down  the  creek  and  show  himself  at 
half  a  dozen  different  places  just  as  quickly  as 
the  act  could  be  performed,  he  at  the  same  time 
doing  as  much  in  the  opposite  direction.  Some- 
times the  pair  showed  themselves  with  their 
coats,  sometimes  without,  and  they  knocked 
their  head  covering's  into  all  sorts  of  shapes. 

The  ruse  succeeded  admirably,  for  even  Levi, 
at  the  fort,  was  led  to  believe  a  dozen  or  more 
armed  men  had  just  arrived,  and  he  was  for 
a  while  considerably  worried,  thinking  they  might 
possibly  be  reenforcements  for  the  enemy.     Bow- 


66  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

man's  appearance  opposite  Fort  Bedford  cleared 
up  the  matter,  and  the  farmer  came  over  to 
give  the  overseer  the  particulars,  thereby  risk- 
ing a   shot  which,  fortunately,  proved   harmless. 

"  It  certainly  ought  to  bring  them  to  terms," 
said  Levi.  "  I'll  wager  they  will  be  out  with 
another  flag  in  less  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour." 

Had  a  bet  been  made  the  overseer  would  have 
won  by  five  minutes,  for  exactly  ten  minutes 
later  another  flag  of  truce  was  shown,  and  a  sec- 
ond messenger  sallied  forth  to  make  terms  with 
Major  Deck. 


CHAPTER   VI 

A  MISSING   DOCUMENT   OF   IMPORTANCE 

Major  Dexter  Lyon  was  on  the  lookout 
and  saw  the  second  flag  of  truce  as  quickly  as 
any  one.  At  the  same  time  Carson  Lee,  still 
in  the  top  of  the  magnolia,  announced  that 
"another  rag"  was  "out  for  an  airin'." 

"  You  want  ter  go  slow,"  he  added.  "  They 
may  be  gittin'  desperate  an'  up  to  some  o' 
their  mean  tricks." 

Promising  to  use  all  caution,  Deck  advanced 
to  meet  the  new  messenger.  He  proved  to  be 
a  mild  sort  of  a  guerilla  and  was  evidently  ex- 
tremely nervous. 

"I  came  out  to  arrange  terms  with  you,"  he 
said,  in  such  a  low  voice  that  Deck  could 
hardly  hear  him. 

"Are  you  ready  to  surrender?" 

"We  are  —  on  certain  terms." 

"  I  gave  your  other  messenger  my  terms.  I 
haven't  any  others  to  make." 

67 


68  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION. 

"  The  boys  is  divided  as  to  wot  to  do.  About 
half  of  'em  is  willing  to  give  themselves  up  un- 
conditionally, the  other  half  want  to  be  treated 
as  prisoners  of  war." 

"  I  will  not  treat  any  as  prisoners  of  war  —  I 
said  that  before,"  answered  Deck,  firmly.  "  Are 
you  willing  to  give  yourself  up  unconditionally  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"Then  you  had  best  do  so  without  delay  — 
and  so  had  the  others  who  think  as  you  do. 
We  will  give  you  just  ten  minutes  in  which  to 
make  up  your  minds,"  went  on  Deck,  feeling 
he  had  the  enemy,  "  on  the  run,"  and  determined 
to  make  the  best  of  his  chances. 

"  So  them  reenforcements  have  arrived,  eh  ?  " 
said  the  messenger,  and  now  his  voice  actually 
trembled.  "  Just  hold  on  ten  minutes.  Major, 
and  I'll  be  back,"  and  he  almost  ran  for  the 
house. 

The  man  left  the  front  door  wide  open,  and 
Lee,  from  his  superior  position,  announced  that 
a  lively  confab  was  in  progress  within.  In  less 
than  five  minutes  the  messenger  marched  forth, 
followed  by  five  of  his  comrades,  all  trailing 
their  guns. 


A   MISSING   DOCUMENT   OF   IMPORTANCE       69 

"Five  on  'em  goin'  to  give  up,"  announced 
Lee,  when  a  shot  was  fired  from  the  mansion, 
and  one  of  the  guerillas  was  seen  to  throw  up 
his  arms  and  fall  headlong.  He  had  been  shot 
through  the  neck,  and  expired  almost  instantly. 
The  others  set  out  on  a  run  for  the  magnolias, 
fearful  that  their  former  companions  in  arms 
would  murder  them  likewise  for  deserting.  A 
dozen  reports  from  both  sides  followed,  but  no 
further  damage  was  done. 

As  soon  as  the  four  guerillas  reached  Deck's 
command  they  were  disarmed,  and  a  guard  of 
two  slaves  conducted  them  to  a  distance,  keep- 
ing a  close  watch  upon  them.  Another  negro 
was  sent  by  a  circuitous  route  to  the  fort,  to 
tell  the  defenders  there  what  had  occurred. 

Deck  now  felt  certain  that  those  remaining  in 
the  mansion  would  soon  make  a  dash  for  safety, 
satisfied  that  every  moment's  delay  increased 
their  peril,  and  preferring  to  run  the  risk  of 
being  shot  than  the  certainty  of  being  hung 
if  captured.  At  the  most  there  could  not  be 
over  eight  guerillas  in  a  condition  to  fight, 
and  the  major  felt  assured  his  forces  could 
readily  take  care  of  them. 


70  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

The  dash  came  just  after  Deck's  message  had 
been  delivered  to  Levi  and  Artie.  Almost 
simultaneously  all  the  lower  doors  of  the  man- 
sion were  thrown  open  and  seven  guerillas 
darted  out,  to  scatter  in  as  many  different 
directions,  three  going  off  toward  the  meadow 
behind  the  barns,  one  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  negroes'  huts,  and  the  others  taking  to  the 
creek  and  the  bridge  over  it.  In  less  than  two 
minutes  each  ruffian  was  at  least  a  hundred 
yards  from  the  nearest  of  his  companions. 

In  this  emergency  there  was  but  one  thing 
to  do,  and  that  was  to  divide  up  the  detach- 
ments at  the  magnolias  and  at  the  fort.  This 
was  done  by  Deck  on  one  side  and  Artie  on 
the  other,  and  away  went  the  major  and  Fara- 
way, the  slave,  after  the  guerilla  who  was  mak- 
ing for  the  bridge,  while  every  other  ruffian 
was  being  pursued  in  a  similar  fashion  by  the 
remaining  Unionists. 

It  had  grown  darker  rapidly,  and  it  was  with 
difficulty  that  the  major  kept  his  man  in  sight, 
especially  after  the  bushes  near  the  bridge  were 
reached.  There  was  also  a  danger  of  a  shot, 
but  none  came  just  then. 


A   MISSING   DOCUMENT   OF   IMPORTANCE       71 

"  He's  gone  ! "  suddenly  burst  out  Faraway, 
when  the  bridge  was  less  than  a  hundred  feet 
away.     "  De  earth  hab  swallowed  him  up  !  " 

"  He  went  under  the  bridge,"  answered  Deck, 
halting.     "  Go  slow,  for  he'll  shoot  us  if  he  can." 

After  this  the  ad-van ce  was  made  with  great 
caution,  until  the  young  commander  had  gained 
the  pile  of  stones  upon  which  rested  one  end 
of  the  wooden  structure.  Here  the  great  tree 
growing  by  the  bridge  bench  cast  a  deep  shade 
all  around,  and  he  had  to  strain  his  eyes  to 
see  at  all. 

Crack !  It  was  the  report  of  a  pistol  and  it 
came  from  less  than  fifty  feet  away.  As  the 
report  died  away  Deck  was  seen  to  throw  up 
his  arms  and  drop.  At  once  an  exultant  chuckle 
proceeded  from  the  guerilla's  lips,  and  heedless 
of  the  negro,  he  darted  out  of  his  hiding-place 
and  ran  for  the  creek  road. 

"  Oh,  Mars'r  Deck  !  "  cried  Faraway,  in  dismay, 
when  he  started  back  dumfounded,  for  the  young 
major  had  suddenly  arisen  to  a  kneeling  posi- 
tion, taken  careful  aim  and  fired.  The  bullet 
sped  true  to  its  mark,  and  the  guerilla  went 
down,  shot  through  the  right  knee. 


72  AN  UNDIVIDED   UNION 

"  Hang  yer  cursed  Yankee  trick  !  "  he  groaned, 
as  Deck  came  up  to  him,  totally  uninjured  from 
the  shot  aimed  at  him  a  minute  previously. 
Lying  as  he  was,  he  attempted  to  fire  again, 
but  the  major  kicked  the  pistol  from  his  grasp 
and  Faraway  pounced  upon  him  and  pinned 
him  to  the  ground. 

"Any  kind  of  a  trick  would  be  justifiable  in 
capturing  such  a  rascal  as  you,"  said  Deck,  as 
he  directed  Faraway  to  disarm  the  prisoner. 
This  done,  and  making  sure  that  the  fellow 
could  not  walk  away,  they  propped  him  up  on 
the  creek  bridge  and  left  him. 

Returning  to  the  vicinity  of  the  mansion. 
Deck  found  that  one  other  guerilla  had  been 
captured  by  Artie  and  Clinker,  and  that  white 
men  and  negroes  were  scattered  in  all  directions 
endeavoring  to  round  up  the  remainder.  The 
search  for  the  fleeing  ones  was  kept  up  until 
midnight,  and  two  others  were  wounded  and 
taken  into  custody. 

All  the  prisoners  were  either  marched  or  car- 
ried to  Fort  Bedford,  and  here  the  wounded 
ones  were  cared  for  as  tenderly  as  though  they 
were    friends    instead    of    enemies.      The    dead 


A   MISSING    DOCUMENT   OF   IMPORTANCE       73 

were  laid  out  for  burial,  unless  the  bodies 
should  be  claimed  by  relatives  or  friends. 

Deck  had  bound  a  silk  handkerchief  around 
his  neck,  which  felt  stiff  where  the  bullet  had 
scratched  it.  Artie  had  been  hurt,  too,  but  the 
wound  was  of  small  consequence.  The  Union- 
ists received  even  greater  care  than  the  guerillas. 

It  was  exactly  two  o'clock  in  the  morning 
when  Deck  came  into  the  mansion  thoroughly 
worn  out  by  what  he  had  passed  through.  Mrs. 
Lyon  had  ordered  Diana  (not  Dinah,  if  you 
please)  to  prepare  the  best  meal  Riverlawn 
could  afford,  and  while  the  family  and  the  other 
whites  sat  down  in  the  dining  room,  the  negroes 
made  themselves  comfortable  in  the  spacious 
kitchen.  In  the  meantime  the  prisoners  at  the 
fort  were  kept  under  close  guard  and  a  messen- 
ger was  despatched  to  notify  the  county  authori- 
ties of  what  had  taken  place. 

The  mansion  had  been  turned  topsy-turvy, 
and  a  few  articles  of  bric-a-brac  had  been 
smashed,  but  otherwise  the  loss  did  not  seem 
to  be  of  much  consequence  outside  of  the  fact 
that  two  dozen  silver  spoons  and  a  gold  butter 
dish  were   missing,  also  some  wine  and  whiskey 


74  AN    UNDIVIDED   UNION 

put  down  in  the  cellar  by  Duncan  Lyon  and 
which  the  family  of  Noah  had  never  touched. 

"  I  do  not  mind  the  liquor,  but  I  do  mind  the 
loss  of  my  mother's  spoons,"  said  Mrs.  Noah. 
"However,  I  am  glad  matters  are  no  worse." 

"  I  was  afraid  they  would  break  open  father's 
safe,"  said  Deck,  referring  to  the  strong  box 
in  the  library,  in  which  the  colonel  was  wont 
to  keep  his  cash  and  his  private  papers.  "I  was 
much  relieved  to  see  it  still  locked  up." 

While  Deck  had  been  speaking  Levi  came 
in,  and  now  he  turned  to  Mrs.  Lyon.  "  That 
safe  —  I  left  it  open  for  you,"  he  cried  hur- 
riedly.    "  Did  you  —  " 

"  I  left  it  open,"  gasped  Mrs.  Lyon,  falling 
back  in  her  chair.  "  I  forgot  all  about  it  until 
just  now  —  the  guerillas  scared  me  so  when 
they  marched  in.     If  they  —  " 

"The  safe  is  shut  —  but  still  —  "  began  Deck, 
and  arising  hastily  he  hurried  to  the  library, 
with  Levi,  Artie,  and  the  women  folks  at  his 
heels.  The  door  refused  to  budge  and  Levi 
worked  the  combination,  a  new  device  Noah 
Lyon  had  had  put  on  the  door  just  before  leav- 
ing home  for  the  seat  of  war. 


A   MISSING   DOCUMENT   OF    IMPORTANCE       75 

When  the  strong  box  came  open  a  mass  of 
private  papers  and  account-books  fell  out  upon 
the  carpeted  floor,  and  it  was  easy  to  surmise 
that  the  guerillas  had  looted  the  safe  of  all  that 
could  be  made  valuable  to  them.  Levi  declared 
three  hundred  dollars  in  gold  gone,  also  two 
hundred  in  United  States  paper  money,  besides 
a  small  box  of  jewellery,  the  most  valuable  arti- 
cles in  which  had  been  a  diamond  ring  and  a 
diamond  stud  Duncan  Lyon  had  worn  during 
his  life,  and  of  which  no  disposition  had  ever 
been  made. 

"  We  are  five  hundred  dollars  out  by  this 
raid,"  said  Artie,  while  Mrs.  Lyon  shook  her 
head  sadly.  "  We  had  better  question  the  pris- 
oners about  this." 

He  went  off  to  do  so,  accompanied  by  Levi. 
While  they  were  gone  Deck  proceeded  to  ar- 
range the  scattered  books  and  papers  and  restore 
them  to  their  original  resting  places. 

"  Hullo  !  "  he  ejaculated,  as  he  picked  up  an 
empty  envelope.  It  was  marked  !  "  Not  to  be 
opened  till  five  years  from  the  date  of  my  death. 
Duncan  Lyon." 

"  The   secret   envelope   uncle   left  to  father  !  " 


76  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

i 

cried  out  Hope.  "  Oh,  Deck,  where  are  the 
contents  ?  " 

"That  is  what  I  should  like  to  know,"  re- 
sponded her  brother,  kneeling  down  with  a 
hand  lamp,  the  better  to  see.  A  large  batch 
of  papers  were  sorted  with  great  care,  but  noth- 
ing which  might  have  belonged  in  the  envelope 
was  unearthed. 

"  This  is  worse  than  the  loss  of  the  money  or 
the  spoons,"  sobbed  Mrs.  Lyon,  bursting  into 
tears.  "  Your  father  has  always  been  very  care- 
ful of  that  secret  communication,  which  he 
thought  related  to  your  Uncle  Duncan's  slaves. 
I  am  sure  he  will  be  much  put  out  when  he 
finds  the  contents  of  the  envelope  gone." 

Mrs.  Lyon's  tears  set  the  girls  to  crying,  and 
it  took  some  time  for  Deck  to  quiet  the  three. 
In  the  meanwhile  he  had  all  the  female  colored 
help  in  the  mansion  search  for  the  missing 
paper.  These  people  brought  him  a  dozen  or 
more  sheets  from  out-of-the-way  corners,  but 
all  proved  valueless,  and  at  length  Deck  strode 
down  to  the  fort. 

The  prisoners  had  been  searched,  but  noth- 
ing  had   been   found    on   them    of  value.     Each 


A   MISSING   DOCUMENT   OF   IMPORTANCE       77 

man  was  closely  questioned,  and  the  timid  gue- 
rilla who  had  carried  the  second  flag  of  truce 
that  afternoon  admitted  that  he  had  seen  a  cer- 
tain fellow  known  as  Totterly  at  the  safe  and 
had  seen  the  guerilla  tear  open  an  envelope, 
look  over  its  contents  and  then  cram  a  paper 
in  his  coat  pocket.  Totterly  had  also  taken  a 
chamois  bag  —  the  bag  which  contained  the 
three  hundred  dollars  in  gold.  Who  had  taken 
the  paper  money  was  not  known  to  the  timid 
prisoner,  nor  did  he  know  anything  about  the 
spoons. 

"  I  didn't  want  to  jine  them  sodgers,"  he 
whined.  "  Gaffy  Denny  talked  me  into  it. 
Wish  I  had  a-stayed  on  my  dad's  plantation  in 
Logan  County." 

"  Yes,  you  would  have  been  much  better  off," 
answered  Deck,  briefly. 

The  discovery  of  the  loss  sustained  put  a 
damper  on  the  supper,  and  several  of  Diana's 
best  dishes  were  hardly  touched.  But  nothing 
could  just  then  be  done,  and  after  Mrs.  Lyon 
and  the  girls  had  told  how  they  had  been  sur- 
prised by  Gaffy  Denny  and  his  men  and  locked 
up  in  the  storeroom  off  of  the  dining  apartment. 


78  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

each  of  the  party  retired  to  catch  a  few  hours 
of  sleep.  It  is  safe  to  say  the  lady  of  the  man- 
sion and  the  girls  hardly  closed  their  eyes,  but 
Deck  and  Artie  were  growing  used  to  excite- 
ment and  had  slumbered  in  the  very  midst  of 
a  battlefield,  and  they  rested  soundly. 

On  the  day  following,  several  of  the  county 
authorities  put  into  appearance,  and  the  pris- 
oners were  taken  away  to  Bowling  Green,  some 
to  the  prison,  and  the  wounded  ones  to  a  hospi- 
tal. A  vigorous  search  was  instituted  for  Tot- 
terly,  but  nothing  was  learned  about  him  fur- 
ther than  that  he  had  confiscated  a  horse  at  a 
little  settlement  known  as  Culver's,  and  had 
been  seen  riding  with  all  speed  directly  south 
for  the  Tennessee  State  line. 

Deck  and  Artie  accompanied  the  prisoners  to 
the  county  seat,  and  on  returning  to  River- 
lawn  in  the  afternoon  an  hour's  call  was  made  at 
Lyndhall  —  a  space  of  time  all  too  short  for  the 
major,  for  Kate  Belthorpe  wished  to  know  all 
about  the  affair  at  the  mansion,  and  he  was  impa- 
tient to  ask  her  about  herself.  Artie,  knowing  a 
thing  or  two  or  imagining  he  did,  very  considerately 
drew  Margie  Belthorpe  to  listen  to  what  he  might 


A   MISSING   DOCUMENT    OF    IMPORTANCE       79 

have  to  relate,  so  the  affectionate  pair  were  left 
alone  part  of  the  time,  something  which  Deck 
very  much  appreciated,  and  to  which  pretty  Kate 
did  not  at  all  object.  The  girl  shuddered  when 
he  was  forced  to  admit  that  he  had  been  scratched 
on  the  neck  by  a  bullet,  and  flinging  her  arms 
about  his  shoulders  begged  him  to  be  more  pru- 
dent in  the  future,  and  this  he  promised  —  for  her 
sake,  as  he  said  in  a  whisper,  and  the  compact 
was  sealed  with  a  kiss  which  if  not  exactly 
brotherly  or  sisterly  was  fully  as  affectionate. 

"  I  suppose  you  proposed,  didn't  you  ? "  said 
Artie,  when  he  and  Deck  were  galloping  home. 
"  I  gave  you  the  best  chance  in'the  world." 

"I  —  I  —  don't  be  foolish,  Artie,"  returned  the 
young  major,  and  blushed.  "  No,"  he  went  on, 
after  a  pause,  "  I  didn't  —  but  —  I  reckon  it's  all 
right  —  at  least  I  hope  it  is  ;"  and  Artie  clapped 
him  on  the  back  heartily  and  said  he  was  positive 
it  was  all  right,  and  they  shook  hands.  After 
that  the  cousins  were  more  brotherly  than  ever 
before. 


CHAPTER  VII 

IN  WHICH    THE    ENEMY's    SUPPLIES   ARE    CONFIS- 
CATED 

"  Deck,  what  is  that  glittering  over  there  ? " 
cried  Artie,  as  they  were  crossing  the  creek 
bridge.     "  I  declare,  it's  one  of  mother's  spoons  !  " 

"You're  right,  Artie,"  answered  the  major, 
leaping  to  the  ground.  "  And  here  is  another. 
That  rascal  I  wounded  must  have  thrown  them 
away  after  I  left  him  on  the  bridge  bench." 

Artie  dismounted  also,  and  the  pair  began  a 
rigorous  search  for  the  balance  of  the  missing 
silverware.  Four  additional  spoons  were  brought 
to  light,  all  having  lain  within  a  distance  of  two 
yards  of  each  other. 

"  That's  all,"  said  Artie,  after  looking  around 
for  quarter  of  an  hour  without  finding  any  more. 
"  More  than  likely  several  of  the  guerillas  divided 
the  tableware  between  them." 

Mrs.  Lyon  was  much  pleased  over  the  recovery 
of  even  a  part  of  the  stolen  property,  and  a  hunt 

80 


THE   ENEINIY's   SUPPLIES   ARE   CONFISCATED      81 

was  immediately  instituted  at  the  various  spots 
where  the  prisoners  had  been  shot  down  or  cap- 
tured. Before  night  a  dozen  and  a  half  spoons 
were  in,  also  the  gold  butter  dish.  The  other 
spoons  were  never  found,  although  long  after  it 
was  learned  that  the  thief  had  thrown  them  into 
the  creek. 

Immediately  after  learning  what  was  to  be  as- 
certained concerning  Totterly,  Levi  had  gone  off 
with  General  and  Clinker  to  run  the  men  down, 
were  such  a  thing  possible.  The  overseer  was 
gone  two  days  and  a  night,  and  came  back  looking 
worn  and  haggard. 

"  I  couldn't  catch  him,  try  my  best,"  he  said. 
"  He  has  escaped  into  Tennessee,  and  I  doubt 
very  much  if  any  of  us  ever  lay  eyes  on  him 
again." 

From  one  of  the  prisoners  they  had  received  a 
very  good  description  of  the  guerilla,  who  was 
said  to  be  tall,  with  a  marked  stoop  to  his  left 
shoulder,  and  with  a  long  nose  which  did  not 
point  directly  ahead,  but  somewhat  to  the  right. 
He  was  said  to  be  a  well-educated  man,  inclined 
to  drink,  and  was  put  down  as  using  "  school 
English." 


82  '  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

"  We  shall  never  see  or  hear  of  him  again," 
sighed  Mrs.  Lyon.  "  The  money  and  that  pre- 
cious paper  are  gone  forever." 

"  I  don't  see  why  he  took  the  paper,"  said 
Artie.  "  I  don't  believe  it  is  of  any  value  ex- 
cepting to  father." 

"  We  ought  to  write  to  father  at  once,"  said 
Hope,  who,  though  younger  than  any  present, 
took  a  deep  interest  in  what  had  occurred.  "  If 
the  paper  concerned  the  slaves,  what  will  he  do 
if  it  is  not  found  ?  " 

"  That's  the  conundrum,  Hope,"  answered  her 
big  brother.  "I'll  write  to-night,  and  father  will 
get  the  letter  inside  of  forty-eight  hours,  I 
think." 

The  major  and  the  captain  had  expected  to 
have  a  right  royal  time  at  home  while  on  their 
furlough  ;  but  the  attack  on  Riverlawn  had  upset 
all  of  their  calculations.  Nevertheless,  they  were 
warmly  welcomed  by  those  at  the  plantation,  and 
Kate  Belthorpe  made  Deck  especially  happy  by 
coming  over  with  her  sister  to  spend  a  whole  day 
at  the  mansion. 

The  furlough  of  the  major  and  the  captain 
was  for  ten  days,  and  before  the  time  was  up  a 


THE    enemy's    supplies    ARE    CONFISCATED       83 

letter  came  from  Colonel  Lyon,  stating  that  he 
had  received  the  news  of  the  attack  on  River- 
lawn  even  before  Deck's  communication  was 
handed  to  him.  The  loss  of  the  private  docu- 
ment intrusted  to  him  by  his  dead  brother  wor- 
ried him  greatly,  but  he  presumed  everything 
possible  was  being  done  to  recover  it,  so  he 
would  not  risk  leaving  his  command  to  take  a 
hand  personally. 

"  General  Rosecrans  is  almost  certain  the  enemy 
is  up  to  some  movement,"  he  added.  "  I  was 
talking  to  Colonel  Minty  only  yesterday,  and  he 
thinks  we  shall  have  work  cut  out  for  us  inside 
of  a  week.  Unless  you  can  accomplish  some- 
thing at  home,  you  and  Artie  had  better  return 
to  your  positions  at  the  front." 

The  note  had  evidently  been  written  in  a 
hurry,  for  no  mention  was  made  of  the  lost 
money,  the  colonel  evidently  valuing  that  at 
less  than  the  stolen  paper.  The  communication 
produced  a  profound  impression  on  Deck  and 
Artie,  and  after  talking  it  over,  both  decided 
to  leave  for  their  regiment  on  the  following 
morning.  Levi  urged  them  to  do  this,  and 
promised    to    guard    more    carefully    than    ever 


84  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION  » 

against  any  possible  future  attack  at  River- 
lawn. 

Early  in  tlie  year  1863  several  changes  were 
made  in  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  and  one 
of  these  was  to  transfer  Fort  Henry  and  Fort 
Donelson  from  Grant  to  Rosecrans,  giving  the 
latter  the  entire  control  of  the  Cumberland 
River.  In  the  meantime,  and  during  the  sev- 
eral months  to  follow,  the  cavalry  of  the  Union 
forces  was  recruited  as  much  as  possible,  and 
many  companies  of  infantry  were  placed  on 
horseback,  for  Rosecrans  had  discovered  that  lit- 
tle or  nothing  could  be  done  against  the  enemy's 
raiders  by  foot  soldiers,  no  matter  how  daring 
or  long-winded  on  the  double-quick  the  latter 
might  be. 

Toward  the  end  of  January,  General  Bragg, 
somewhat  recovered  from  the  shock  of  the  con- 
flict at  Murfreesboro,  thought  it  about  time  to 
make  another  demonstration  against  the  army 
of  the  North,  and  he  accordingly  directed  Gen- 
eral Wheeler  to  make  an  attack  against  Fort 
Donelson,  so  gallantly  taken  by  the  forces  under 
Grant  nearly  a  year  previous.  Wheeler  di- 
rected Forrest  to  move  his  brigade  with  a  bat- 


the'  enemy's  supplies  aee  confiscated     85 

tery  of  four  guns  along  the  river  road  to  the 
neighborhood  of  Dover,  while  he  with  Wharton's 
command  took  a  road  to  the  left. 

Several  trusted  scouts  reported  this  movement 
to  Rosecrans  without  delay,  and  the  general  im- 
mediately ordered  Davis  to  take  his  division 
and  two  brigades  of  cavalry  under  Colonel  Minty 
down  the  Versailles  road  and  endeavor  to  take 
Wheeler  in  the  rear,  while  Steedman  was  directed 
to  watch  the  Confederate  general's  movements 
by  way  of  Triune. 

As  the  work  of  the  Riverlawn  Cavalry  was 
well  known.  Colonel  Lyon  was  pressed  into  the 
services  of  the  cavalry  moving  toward  Fort 
Donelson  without,  however,  Captain  Batterson's 
battery  being  attached,  as  heretofore.  The  bri- 
gades of  cavalry  were  directed  to  move  by  way 
of  the  Unionville  and  Rover  roads,  the  infantry 
going  direct  to  Eaglesville. 

The  major  and  the  captain  arrived  in  camp 
just  as  the  men  were  striking  their  tents.  They 
were  warmly  received  by  Major  Belthorpe,  who 
wanted  to  know  the  news  from  home,  and  by 
Captain  Gadbury,  who  was  likewise  anxious  to 
hear  from  Lyndhall  and  especially  from  Margie. 


86  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

> 

Both  young  men,  however,  lost  no  thne  in  re- 
porting to  their  father.    . 

"  It's  a  bad  business,  Dexter,"  said  the  colonel, 
when  the  loss  of  the  secret  letter  was  alluded 
to,  "  I  must  say  I  am  treed,  as  the  bear  said 
to  Davy  Crockett." 

"  Don't  you  think  the  letter  referred  to  the 
slaves,  father?"  said  the  major.  "I  always 
thought  it  did." 

"I  did  think  so,  because  I  was  particularly 
cautioned  by  Brother  Duncan  not  to  dispose  of 
any  of  the  slaves  under  any  circumstances. 
They  originally  numbered  fifty-one,  but  three 
have  died,  leaving  forty-eight,  as  perhaps  you 
know." 

"  Perhaps  they  were  to  be  given  their  free- 
dom," said  Artie.  "  If  that  is  so,  President 
Lincoln's  proclamation  has  forestalled  Uncle 
Duncan's  design." 

At  this  the  colonel  smiled.  "  Almost  true, 
Artie,  but  not  quite,"  he  said  slowly.  "  If 
we  lived  in  a  rebellious  State  the  proclamation 
would  act  as  you  say,  but  Kentucky,  being  still 
in  the  Union,  is  not  affected  by  that  proclama- 
tion, strange  as  the  statement  may  seem." 


THE   enemy's   supplies   ARE   CONFISCATED      87 

"  Creation  !  but  I  reckon  you're  right,  father  !  " 
almost  shouted  Major  Deck.  "  I  never  looked 
at  it  in  that  light  before.  We  can  hold  slaves 
even  if  the  folks  living  below  the  Mason  and 
Dixon's  line  can't." 

Colonel  Lyon  turned  his  eyes  fully  on  the 
young  commander,  and  studied  that  resolute 
face  for  several  seconds  in  silence.  From  his 
parent's  manner  Deck  knew  something  impor- 
tant was  coming. 

"  My  son,  would  you  care  to  hold  our  colored 
people  as  slaves  if  all  the  other  colored  people 
in  these  United  States  were  set  at  liberty  ?  I 
say  these  United  States,  for  I  pray  God  that  this 
conflict  will  speedily  come  to  an  end  and  that 
we  shall  remain  an  undivided  Union." 

"  No  ;  I  say  let  them  be  free  !  Let  us  hire 
them  to  work  for  us,"  answered  the  major, 
promptly. 

"  Yes  ;  give  them  their  liberty,"  echoed  Artie. 
"  I  never  believed  in  slavery  when  we  lived  in 
New  Hampshire,  and  I  haven't  got  used  to  it 
yet.     It  isn't  a  Christian-like  institution." 

"  My  boys,  I  am  glad  you  speak  my  thoughts," 
said    Colonel    Lyon,    and    grasped   each    by    the 


88  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

» 

hand.  "  Yes,  the  slaves  shall  be  free ;  I  set- 
tled that  in  my  mind  as  soon  as  I  read  our 
President's  proclamation.  I  have  already  begun 
a  letter  of  instructions  to  Levi  Bedford  on  the 
subject." 

At  this  juncture  Colonel  Lyon  was  called 
away  to  confer  with  the  officer  in  command  of 
the  division  to  which  the  Riverlawns  had  been 
assigned,  and  Deck  and  Artie  hurried  to  their 
respective  headquarters,  the  one  to  assume  com- 
mand of  his  company  and  the  other  his  battalion. 

"  Major,  you  are  looking  as  fine  as  fine  can 
be  ! "  exclaimed  Captain  Life  Knox,  of  the  sev- 
enth company,  as  he  came  up,  saluted  Deck, 
and  then  gave  a  hearty  shake  to  the  proffered 
hand.  "  Your  furlough  has  evidently  agreed 
with  you." 

"  It  would  have  agreed  with  me  if  it  hadn't 
been  for  the  trouble  we  had  at  Riverlawn." 

"  I  heard  something  of  that,  but  I'd  like  to 
listen  to  the  particulars,"  continued  Life. 

They  were  readily  given.  When  the  tall  Ken- 
tuckian  heard  Totterly's  name  mentioned  his  face 
grew  dark. 

"  I  know  the  skunk  !  "  he  cried.      "  He  hails 


THE   enemy's   supplies    ARE   CONFISCATED      89 

from  the  western  part  of  the  State  and  once 
cheated  me  in  a  hoss  trade.  So  he  is  the  man  ? 
Very  well,  we'll  keep  our  eyes  open  for  him." 

Major  Truman  was  also  at  hand,  an  eager  lis- 
tener to  what  was  said.  The  former  squire  of 
Barcreek  shook  his  head  dubiously.  "  I  was 
hoping  our  neighborhood  would  miss  being  raided 
after  that  last  trouble,"  he  said.  "  But,  being  on 
the  border  of  this  conflict,  I  dare  say  we  shall 
suffer  in  this  fashion  as  long  as  the  war 
lasts." 

In  less  than  two  hours  after  this  the  Riverlawn 
Cavalry  was  on  the  march.  Deck  at  the  head  of  the 
first  battalion,  with  Artie  as  commander  of  his 
fourth  company,  and  Colonel  Lyon  in  charge  of 
the  whole.  Major  Batterson  of  the  battery  was 
sorry  to  be  left  behind,  but  wished  "the  boys" 
the  best  of  luck. 

"  Don't  let  the  enemy  take  Fort  Donelson,"  he 
said.  "  Grant  had  too  much  of  a  job  taking  it 
from  Buckner." 

The  cavalry  forces  under  Minty  had  been 
divided,  one  taking  the  road  through  Unionville 
and  the  other  that  through  Rover.  The  weather 
was  cold  and  threatened  a  storm,  yet  the  River- 


90  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION  * 

lawns  made  good  progress  over  the  semi-frozen 
and  rough  highway. 

The  most  worried  man  in  the  column  was 
Quartermaster  Hickman.  For  several  weeks  tlie 
troops  had  been  living  on  half  rations,  for  the 
government  could  get  no  supplies  through,  owing 
to  the  wrecking  of  the  railroad.  The  country  for 
miles  around  had  been  so  thoroughly  foraged  that 
absolutely  nothing  was  left  that  was  worth  pick- 
ing up. 

"  It's  easy  enough  to  talk  about  providing  some- 
thing," grumbled  the  quartermaster,  while  riding 
at  ease  beside  Deck.  "  I'd  turn  the  shirt  on  my 
back  into  a  peck  of  potatoes  if  I  could,  but  the 
thing  can't  be  done  —  and  there  you  are.  I've 
lived  on  nothing  but  hardtack  and  a  couple  of 
potatoes  for  two  days,  —  and  your  father  has 
done  the  same,  —  and  yet  some  of  the  boys  kick." 

"  It's  hard  lines,  truly,"  answered  Deck,  soberly. 
"  But  we  shall  have  to  make  the  best  of  it,  and 
that  is  all  there  is  to  it.  When  we  halt  for  din- 
ner, I'll  make  my  battalion  a  little  speech  on  the 
subject." 

"I  wish  you  would,  for  the  third  company  is 
the  hardest  kicker  of  the  lot,"  grumbled  Hickman, 


THE   enemy's   supplies   ARE   CONFISCATED      91 

and  rode  oft",  trying  to  solve  in  his  mind  how  he 
was  going  to  make  six  boxes  of  hardtack,  two 
barrels  of  potatoes,  and  one  box  of  beans  last 
nearly  a  thousand  men  two  days  or  more.  "  I'll 
just  have  to  swell  out  them  beans,  that's  all,"  he 
said.  "  And  all  hands  will  have  to  play  Yankees 
and  eat  'em,"  he  added,  remembering  that  some  of 
the  Kentuckians  had  turned  up  their  noses  at  this 
particularly  New  England  dish. 

When  the  halt  came  Major  Deck  made  his 
promised  speech.  "  Our  quartermaster  is  doing 
his  best,"  he  said,  "  and  officers  are  faring  no 
better  than  the  men.  If  we  are  badly  off,  the 
enemy  is  worse,  so  let  us  leave  the  growling  to 
them.  I  feel  certain  our  government  will  not 
forget  us,  and  that  supplies  will  soon  be  coming 
through  in  abundance." 

For  a  moment  there  was  a  silence.  "  We 
didn't  mean  anything.  Major,"  came  from  a 
private  of  the  second  company.  "  The  quarter- 
master is  all  right.  Three  cheers  for  him  !  "  The 
cheers  were  given  with  a  will ;  and  then  Hickman 
felt  much  better. 

Life  Knox  and  several  others  had  gone  off  on  a 
scout  for  "extras."     They  had  brought  down  two 


92  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

rabbits  when  they  ran  across  a  house  set  in  a 
grove  of  iintrimmed  trees.  The  front  door  was 
open  on  a  crack,  and  at  the  crack  an  eklerly  man 
was  stationed  with  a  shot-gun. 

"  Keep  off !  keep  off  ! "  cried  the  man  as  he 
stepped  onto  the  porch.  "  I  don't  want  any 
soldiers  around  here." 

"  So  it  would  seem,"  answered  the  tall  Ken- 
tuckian,  dryly.     "  Who  are  you  ?  " 

"  Eh  ?  "  queried  the  man,  who  was  a  bit  deaf. 

"Stand  still  and  tell  us  who  you  are." 

"  That's  my  business.     You  clear  out !  " 

"  Rather  guess  it's  our  business  just  now," 
laughed  another  of  the  cavalrymen. 

"  A  man's  house  is  his  castle,  and  I  want  you  to 
leave  me,"  stormed  the  man  with  the  shot-gun. 
"  You  are  nothing  but  Yankees  !  " 

"  That  is  true,"  returned  Life.  "  What  have 
you  in  your  house  ?  " 

"  Eh  ?  " 

"  Most  awfully  deaf,  he  is,"  grunted  another  of 
the  party.  "  Have  you  got  many  provisions  on 
hand  ?  "  he  added,  in  a  louder  key. 

"  Eh  ?  "  and  the  man  with  the  shot-gun  leaned 
forward.     "  Did  you  say  provisions  ?  " 


THE   enemy's   supplies   ARE   CONFISCATED      93 

"  Yes  ;   have  you  any  ?  "  joined  in  Life. 

"  Enough  for  myself.  Ain't  got  none  for  you 
—  I  can  tell  you  that!" 

"Reckon  you  have  got  something  for  us," 
grinned  the  tall  Kentuckian. 

Another  of  the  party,  Sandy  Lyon,  had,  in  the 
meantime,  slipped  behind  the  house.  He  now 
appeared  at  the  edge  of  the  porch  and  suddenly 
leaped  upon  the  elderly  man. 

Utterly  off  his  guard,  for  he  had  not  heard  Sandy 
approaching,  the  deaf  man  proved  an  easy  victim, 
and  in  a  twinkle  his  gun  was  taken  from  him. 

"  That  was  a  good  move,  Sandy,"  said  Life. 
"  Now  sit  down  and  behave  yourself,  sir,"  he 
added,  to  the  man,  whose  name  was  Gessel,  and 
forced  the  deaf  one  to  a  seat  on  the  porch. 

Having  overcome  the  only  inhabitant  of  the 
house,  the  cavalrymen  made  an  inspection  of  the 
premises  and  found  over  a  score  of  boxes  and 
barrels,  filled  with  provisions  intended  for  a  Con- 
federate force  encamped  in  the  vicinity  of  Rover. 

Orders  were  at  once  sent  to  the  quartermaster 
to  take  possession  of  the  prize,  and  Colonel  Lyon 
was  notified  of  the  Confederate  detachment  men- 
tioned. 


94  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

Realizing  that  the  matter  would  brook  of  no 
delay,  a  consultation  with  the  general  of  the 
command  was  held,  and  this  resulted  in  Deck 
being  sent  off  with  his  battalion  to  locate  the 
Confederates,  if  possible,  and  engage  them. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE   ENGAGEMENT  NEAR   SPRING   HILL 

The  course  of  the  first  battalion  of  the  River- 
lawn  Cavalry  was  along  a  path  scarcely  wide 
enough  for  four  horsemen  to  ride  abreast.  It 
was  through  a  thicket  of  dwarf  trees,  the  limbs 
of  which  took  off  many  a  hat  and  scratched  hands 
and  faces.  At  several  points  the  riders  came  to 
hollows,  filled  with  icy  water,  and  here  detours 
had  to  be  made,  for  fear  the  animals  might  be- 
come stuck  in  the  stiff  soil  beneath. 

As  was  his  usual  habit.  Deck  rode  at  the  head 
of  his  command,  with  Captain  Abbey,  of  the  first 
company,  beside  him.  Several  scouts  had  been 
sent  out  and  with  them  had  gone  Artie  Lyon,  by 
special  permission  of  the  major. 

The  scouts  soon  found  the  road  making  a 
broad  sweep  to  the  south,  and  presently  came  to 
a  point  where  there  was  a  clearing  in  the  woods 
and  a  brook.  Here  they  stopped  their  horses 
for  a  drink,  and  Artie  pointed   out  some  fresh 

95 


96  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION  * 

tracks  leading  up  the  watercourse.  The  tracks 
were  of  men  as  well  as  horses. 

"  Let  us  investigate  those  tracks,"  he  said  to 
Lieutenant  Fronklyn,  who  was  one  of  the  party. 
"  I  think  they  are  about  what  we  are  looking  for." 

"  I  wouldn't  be  surprised,"  answered  Fronklyn, 
who,  as  old  readers  know,  had  frequently  been  on 
the  scout  with  Deck,  and  he  knew  a  thing  or  two 
about  the  business.     "  Do  we  go  afoot.  Captain  ?  " 

"  I  think  we  had  better." 

The  horses  were  tethered  in  the  brush,  and  the 
pair  advanced  along  the  brook  with  caution. 
Soon  the  trail  led  to  the  westward,  and  here  they 
found  themselves  confronted  by  a  series  of  rocks, 
overgrown  by  moss  and  covered  with  dead  leaves. 
Fronklyn  stopped  and  scratched  his  head. 

"  Are  we  stumped  ?  "  questioned  Artie.  He 
got  down  on  his  knees  and  commenced  to  exam- 
ine the  moss.  "I  reckon  we  can  follow  the  trail 
in  spite  of  the  rocks.  Come  ahead,"  and  again 
they  advanced. 

The  rocks  ran  up  and  then  down.  At  the 
other  side  was  another  clearing,  and  not  far  away 
the  regular  road  to  Rover. 

"  Halt  !  "   whispered  Artie,  catching  his  com- 


THE   ENGAGEMENT   NEAK    SPRING   HILL        97 

panion  by  the  arm.  "  There  they  are,  as  sure  as 
guns  !  "  and  he  pointed  to  their  left. 

The  young  captain  was  right.  Encamped  on 
the  edge  of  the  clearing,  and  not  over  two  hun- 
dred yards  from  the  Rover  road,  was  a  company 
of  Confederate  cavalry.  The  men  were  taking 
it  easy,  smoking  and  playing  cards.  Not  even 
a  picket  appeared  in  their  vicinity. 

"  Let  us  count  them,"  whispered  Artie,  and 
began  the  task,  while  Fronklyn  did  the  same. 
They  settled  on  forty-three  men,  not  counting 
several  who  could  be  heard  talking,  but  who  were 
out  of  sight. 

"  Half  a  hundred,"  murmured  the  young  cap- 
tain. "  If  we  are  smart  we  ought  to  be  able  to 
bag  the  lot.  Come  on  back,  just  as  quickly  as 
we  can  make  it ;  "  and  he  caught  Fronklyn  by 
the  arm  a  second  time. 

When  the  brook  was  again  reached,  the  other 
scouts  were  called  in,  and  all  lost  no  time  in  re- 
porting to  Deck.  The  major  listened  to  what 
Artie  and  Fronklyn  had  to  say  with  interest, 
and  nodded  when  Artie  spoke  of  bagging  the 
lot. 

*'  You  are  right,"  he  said,  and  sent  for  Captains 


98  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

Abbey,  Blenks,  and  Ricliland  of  the  other  com- 
panies. 

It  was  soon  arranged  that  the  first  and  second 
companies  should  proceed  along  the  regular  road 
until  the  vicinity  of  the  Confederate  camp  was 
reached.  In  the  meantime  the  third  and  fourth 
companies  under  Captain  Richland  were  to  take 
to  the  trail  Artie  had  discovered,  thus  covering 
the  enemy's  rear. 

"  As  soon  as  we  reach  our  position,  I  will  send 
out  Lieutenant  Fronklyn  to  ascertain  your  ar- 
rival," said  the  major.  '^  Then  the  four  com- 
panies will  take  their  positions  north,  west,  east, 
and  south  as  they  rank.  The  enemy  will  thus 
be  completely  surrounded,  and  as  our  men  will 
be  protected  by  the  woods,  I  do  not  see  how  they 
can  do  anything  but  surrender,  unless  they  sub- 
mit themselves  to  great  slaughter. " 

"  But  supposing  they  make  a  break  ?  "  was  the 
question  put  by  Captain  Richland. 

"  If  they  do,  it  will  depend  upon  circumstances 
as  to  what  shall  be  done,  and  I'll  send  you 
further  orders,"  answered  the  major. 

The  two  commands  separated,  and  Deck  rode 
forward   at   the   head    of    the   first    detachment. 


THE    ENGAGEMENT    NEAR    SPRING    HILL         99 

The  approach  to  the  Confederate  encampment  b}" 
the  regular  road  was  considerably  longer  than  by 
the  brook  route,  but  the  latter  way  was  the 
rougher  of  the  two ;  so  the  young  commander 
judged  that  both  detachments  would  arrive  at 
their  destinations  at  about  the  same  time.  In 
this  his  supposition  proved  correct. 

As  before,  scouts  were  sent  out,  Fronklyn  at 
the  head  of  the  first  detachment  and  Lieutenant 
Black  at  the  head  of  the  second,  each  with  three 
men  under  him.  It  was  wise  that  this  was  done, 
for  the  Confederates  had  just  begun  to  throw  out 
pickets,  having  received  word  that  Rosecrans 
was  sending  troops  after  Wheeler  and  feeling  the 
boys  in  blue  must  come  somewhere  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  where  they  were  stopping.  Each 
advanced  guard  managed  to  bag  two  pickets, 
silencing  them  ere  they  had  a  chance  to  make 
any  outcry. 

"  Who  is  in  command  of  your  company  ? " 
questioned  Deck,  when  one  of  the  pickets  was 
brought  to  him. 

"  Captain  Barstow." 

"  How  many  men  has  he  ?  " 

"  About  twice  as  many  as  you,"  answered  the 


100  AN    UNDIVIDED   UNION  » 

Confederate,  hoping  to  scare  the  Unionists 
off. 

"  Indeed,"  rejoined  the  major.  "  That  is  all," 
and  the  captured  one  was  led  to  the  rear. 

There  was  a  sharp  turn  in  the  road  some  dis- 
tance from  the  camp  of  the  enemy,  and  here  the 
first  detachment  rested,  while  Fronklyn  hurried 
through  the  woods  to  get  word  from  Captain 
Richland.  He  found  the  second  detachment  just 
crossing  the  rocks,  and,  waiting  until  tlie  two 
companies  were  located  as  ordered,  reported  the 
fact  to  the  major. 

The  engagement  was  opened  by  the  enemy, 
who,  on  finding  themselves  confronted  in  the 
rear  by  the  two  companies  at  the  rocks,  began  a 
scattering  fire  and  retreated  toward  the  Rover 
road.  The  second  detachment  of  the  Riverlawns 
returned  the  fire  with  deadly  effect,  and  four 
Confederates  were  either  killed  or  wounded.  In 
their  hurry  to  leave  the  exposed  camp,  the  enemy 
left  nearly  its  whole  outfit  behind. 

But  down  on  the  main  road  matters  were  still 
worse  for  them,  for  they  almost  ran  into  the  first 
company,  while  the  second  company  opened  upon 
their  right.     Bewildered,  they  came  to  a  halt,  and 


THE   ENGAGEMENT   NEAK   SPRING    HILL     101 

looked  inquiringly  at  their  captain,  while  two 
other  men  dropped. 

"  Left  wheel,  double-quick  march  !  "  yelled 
Captain  Barstow.  "  Load  !  "  And  away  they 
went,  loading  as  the}'^  ran.  But  at  the  base  of 
the  rocks  they  came  to  another  halt,  for  from  the 
trees  some  distance  back  glinted  nearly  a  hundred 
carbine  barrels.  They  turned  again  to  find  more 
carbines  on  the  other  side. 

The  first  detachment  had  now  come  closer,  and 
the  Confederates  were  completely  hemmed  in, 
with  hardly  a  tree  to  shelter  them.  In  this  posi- 
tion Major  Deck  called  on  them  to  surrender. 

"If  you  don't  do  it,  my  troops  will  cut  you  to 
pieces,"  he  added. 

The  captain  of  the  Confederates  wanted  to  fight, 
and  to  gain  time  attempted  to  parley  over  terms. 
But  Deck  would  not  listen  to  him  ;  and  five  min- 
utes later  the  company  threw  down  their  arms, 
and  the  angry  commander  was  forced  to  give  up 
his  sword. 

It  was  learned  that  the  captured  body  num- 
bered but  thirty-six  men,  the  others  having  either 
been  shot  down  or  having  left  the  camp  between 
the  time  that  Artie  and  Fronklyn  made  their  dis- 


102  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

» 

CO  very  and  the  contest  opened.  The  wounded' 
were  cared  for  and  placed  in  a  farm  wagon  bor- 
rowed from  a  planter  in  the  vicinity,  and  the 
prisoners  were  marched  along  the  Rover  road  to 
where  the  second  and  third  battalions  of  the 
Riveiiawns  were  stationed. 

"  You  did  well,  Dexter,"  said  the  colonel,  when 
he  had  been  informed  of  the  course  of  events. 
"  To  capture  such  a  force  with  only  the  loss  of 
one  man  killed  and  three  wounded  was  remarka- 
ble," and  he  smiled  affectionately. 

"  I  didn't  do  very  much  myself,"  said  the 
major,  modestly.  "  Artie  and  Lieutenant  Fronk- 
lyn  found  the  rebels  and  I  ordered  the  only  thing 
done  that  seemed  practicable — to  surround  them." 

"  I  see  you  still  have  your  neck  tied  up.  Does 
it  hurt  much  ?  " 

"  A  little,  but  not  enough  to  speak  about. 
Artie's  wound  was  much  the  worse  of  the  two." 

"  You  must  not  be  rash.  Captain  Abbey  tells 
me  that  you  exposed  yourself  several  times  while 
giving  orders." 

"  I  can't  remain  in  the  rear,  father,"  pleaded 
the  major.     "  How  would  it  look  ?  " 

"  My    first    battalion   can't   afford   to    lose    its 


THE    ENGAGEMENT    NEAR    SPRING    HILL     103 

major,  Dexter.  You  owe  a  duty  to  your  com- 
mand, as  well  as  to  yourself  and  me  ;  "  and  here 
the  conversation  dropped. 

The  larger  portion  of  the  cavalry  had  moved 
forward  toward  Rover,  and  here  another  body  of 
Minty's  command  encountered  a  small  regiment 
of  Confederates  and  captured  them.  To  this 
body  of  the  defeated  were  added  the  force  taken 
by  Major  Deck. 

Following  the  commands  of  General  Rosecrans, 
Steedman  moved  forward  by  way  of  Triune  and 
Nolinsville,  and  joined  Davis's  forces  at  Franklin. 
But  Wheeler  was  on  the  alert,  and  by  pushing 
forward  at  his  utmost  speed,  managed  to  pass  be- 
tween those  in  his  pursuit.  On  the  third  day  of 
February  he  reached  Dover,  and  there  forced  a 
fight  with  Colonel  Harding,  commanding  about 
six  hundred  and  fifty  men  of  the  Eighty-third 
Illinois.  The  latter  was  well  intrenched  at  the 
new  sight  of  Fort  Donelson,  and  bravely  resisted 
two  savage  attacks,  then  charged  over  his  works 
and  captured  nearly  half  a  hundred  of  the  enemy. 
In  his  double  onslaught  Wheeler  lost  five  hundred 
and  fifty  in  killed  and  wounded,  while  the  loss 
to  the  Union  forces    was  less    than  a    hundred, 


104  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

» 

exclusive  of  fifty  soldiers  who  were  captured. 
With  broken  ranks  Wheeler  started  on  his  re- 
treat through  Centerville.  Davis's  command  tried 
their  best  to  cut  him  off,  and  so  did  a  portion  of 
Minty's  cavalry,  but  the  Confederate  could  not  be 
caught,  and  he  escaped  with  the  remnant  of  his 
troops  across  Duck  River.  It  may  be  added 
here  that  when  Colonel  Harding  charged  over  his 
breastworks,  he  was  sustained  by  the  fire  of 
several  gunboats  on  the  river,  which  were  bound 
for  Nashville  with  a  number  of  transports. 

The  affair  near  Rover  ended  the  present  series 
of  conflicts  so  far  as  the  Riverlawn  Cavalry  was 
concerned,  and  they  went  into  camp  once  more 
and  were  again  joined  by  Batterson's  battery. 
But  the  Confederates  continued  to  be  active,  and 
early  in  March  an  encounter  took  place  three 
miles  outside  of  Spring  Hill  and  another  at 
Thompson's  Station.  The  Union  forces,  under 
Coburn,  were  outnumbered  and  compelled  to 
surrender;  but  the  victory  was  of  little  value  to 
the  Confederates,  since  it  did  nothing  for  the 
advancement  of  their  position. 

On  the  7th  of  March  General  Phil  Sheridan 
moved  with  his  division  to   Franklin,  where  he 


THE   ENGAGEMENT    NEAR    SPRING    HILL     105 

was  joined  by  troops .  from  Nashville  and  by 
Minty's  cavalry.  The  object  was  to  learn  the 
enemy's  true  position.  -  Van  Dorn,  the  rebel 
leader,  was  at  Spring  Hill,  and  Granger  was  sent 
to  dislodge  him.  This  was  done  with  the  aid  of 
several  other  Union  troops,  and  Van  Dorn  was 
pursued  as  far  as  Rutherford  Creek. 

Once  more  the  Riverlawns  found  themselves  in 
the  saddle  and  posted  on  a  side  road  not  half  a 
mile  from  the  scene  of  the  initial  blows  of  the 
battle.  The  road  was  a  winding  affair,  and  the 
several  battalions  covered  not  only  the  highway, 
but  also  the  hemp  fields  on  either  side.  They 
were  kept  waiting  for  nearly  an  hour,  Avhen  a  staff 
officer  came  galloping  up  and  informed  Colonel 
Lyon  that  a  portion  of  the  enemy  was  cutting 
through   a   woods  to   the    northeast. 

"  You  are  to  cut  them  off,  Colonel  Lyon," 
added  the  officer.  "  The  general  leaves  the  de- 
tails of  the  movement  to  yourself." 

"  How  many  are  coming  ?  "  asked  the  com- 
mandant of  the  Riverlawns. 

"Five  or  six  hundred,  at  least." 

Colonel  Lyon  said  no  more,  but  at  once  di- 
rected his  regiment  to  break  into  battalions.     The 


106  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION  ♦ 

first  was  to  move  up  the.roacl  for  an  eighth  of  a 
mile,  the  second  was  to  cut  directly  across  the  hemp 
field  on  the  left,  while  the  third  was  to  follow  the 
first,  as  a  reserve,  keeping  as  well  posted  as  pos- 
sible on  the  movements  of  Deck's  companies. 

In  less  than  five  minutes  Major  Belthorpe's 
battalion  was  galloping  across  the  field  as  fast 
as  the  nature  of  the  soil  permitted,  while  Deck 
was  moving  up  the  highway  at  equal  speed. 
Soon  a  patch  of  timber  cut  off  the  view  of  the 
first  battalion  by  the  second. 

Major  Deck  now  felt  it  "  in  his  bones "  that 
some  sharp  fighting  was  in  store  for  his  men, 
and  in  this  he  was  not  mistaken.  The  position 
determined  upon  by  the  colonel  had  hardly  been 
gained  when  the  Confederate  detachment,  con- 
sisting of  several  companies  of  cavalry  and  a 
like  number  of  infantry,  discovered  the  battal- 
ion in  the  hemp  field,  and  opened  fire. 

Understanding  fully  Colonel  Lyon's  scheme, 
Major  Belthorpe  now  swung  around  to  the  en- 
emy's rear,  the  movement  being  easy  on  account 
of  a  fence  and  a  hedge  at  the  further  entrance 
to  the  enclosure.  They  returned  the  fire,  and 
several  men  fell  upon  both  sides. 


THE    ENGAGEMENT    NEAR    SPRING    HILL      107 

A  slight  rise  in  the  centre  of  the  hemp  field 
cut  off  the  view  of  the  road  from  the  woods, 
and  now  the  commander  of  the  Confederate 
forces  thought  he  saw  a  clear  opening  before 
him,  leading  directly  for  Rutherford  Creek. 
He  resolved  to  move  in  a  semicircle  also,  and 
make  for  the  road,  and  gave  his  commands 
accordingly. 

The  march  of  the  enemy's  forces  brought  him 
on  the  road,  midway  between  the  first  battalion 
and  the  third,  situated,  as  before  stated,  an 
eighth  of  a  mile  apart.  Owing  to  the  winding 
course  of  the  highway  he  did  not  see  either 
battalion  until  it  was  too  late  to  retreat.  Deck 
marched  down  upon  him,  and  Major  Truman 
marched  up,  and  he  was  caught  between  two 
fires,  with  the  second  battalion  pressing  him  in 
the  rear. 

But  the  Confederate  leader  was  a  "  fire-eater," 
in  the  most  positive  meaning  of  that  term,  and 
he  resolved  to  make  a  dash  for  liberty  by  at- 
tempting to  break  through  Deck's  command, 
since  the  field  on  the  road's  right  did  not  look 
like  a  promising  one  to  enter,  being  broken  by 
a   ditch  and  several  swamps,  into  which   horses 


108  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION  ^ 

and  infantry  were  bound  to  go  down.  He  yelled 
to  his  leading  cavalry  to  follow  him,  and,  waving 
his  sabre  over  his  head,  charged  down  upon  Deck 
like  a  veritable  demon. 


CHAPTER   IX 

MAJOR  DECK  LYON  MAKES   A   PROMISE 

"  They  are  coming,  Major  ! "  shouted  Captain 
Abbey,  as  the  Confederate  leader  forced  his  cav- 
alry on  the  charge.     "  What  had  we  best  do  ?  " 

"  Draw  —  pistols  !  "  shouted  Deck,  by  way  of 
an  answer.  "  Give  them  a  round  as  soon  as 
they  turn  the  bend." 

The  command  had  hardly  been  given  when 
the  first  company  opened  fire,  followed  by  the 
second  company,  both  wheeling  to  the  left  to 
let  the  other  companies  fire.  By  this  time  the 
Confederates  were  answering  with  their  pistols; 
but,  on  account  of  their  rapid  riding,  their  aim 
was   poor,  and  the  shots  did  but  little  damage. 

The  young  major  was  a  central  figure  in  the 
combat,  and  more  than  one  soldier  in  gray  di- 
rected his  fire  at  him.  But  he  escaped  unharmed, 
to  find  himself,  two  minutes  later,  faced  by  the 
Confederate  leader,  wearing  the  straps  of  a  major 
also. 

109 


110  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

The  fellow  was  all  of  six  feet  tall,  heavy-set, 
with  a  black  mustache,  and  beady  black  eyes,  that 
somehow  put  Deck  in  mind  of  a  rattlesnake  ready 
to  strike.  He  came  on,  giving  the  Confederate 
yell  heard  so  many  times  before,  and  to  be  heard 
so  many  times  afterward  —  a  yell  no  pen  can 
describe,  and  one  which  arose,  clear  and  full, 
above  the  clash  of  arms. 

"  Down  you  go  !  "  hissed  the  major  in  gray,  as 
he  advanced  upon  Deck  with  his  sabre  pointed, 
as  if  to  run  him  through.  His  look  was  suffi- 
cient to  paralyze  any  ordinary  man;  but  Deck 
did  not  quail,  having  been  confronted  thus  be- 
fore. He  spoke  to  Ceph,  and  the  intelligent 
animal  reared  up,  and  came  down  on  one  side, 
and  a  sharp  blow  from  Deck's  weapon  caused 
the  Confederate's  sabre  to  fly  from  his  hand. 

The  Confederate  was  astonished,  almost  dum- 
founded,  for  he  had  calculated  that  such  a  youth- 
ful commander  would  be  "  easy  meat "  for  him. 
With  another  yell  he  swung  his  horse  in  a  circle 
to  avoid  a  second  blow  from  Deck,  and  then, 
pulling  his  pistol,  aimed  it  at  our  friend's  head. 

But  Lieutenant  Fronklyn  was  in  a  line  directly 
behind    Deck,   and   he    did   not   intend   that   his 


MAJOR    DECK    LYON    MAKES    A    PROMISE      111 

commander  should  be  shot  down  thus  readily. 
As  the  Confederate  leader's  pistol  went  up, 
Fronklyn's  sabre  came  down,  and  the  firearm 
fell  to  the  ground,  carrying  with  it  three  of  the 
fingers  which  had  clutched  its  handle. 

"  Good  for  you,  Fronklyn  !  "  cried  Deck.  "  I 
owe  you  one  for  that  !  "  And  then  the  tide  of 
the  contest  carried  them  apart. 

Fully  half  a  hundred  of  the  Confederate  horse- 
men were  as  daring  as  their  leader,  and,  while 
the  others  fell  back  and  into  the  hands  of  the 
second  and  third  battalions  of  the  Riverlawns, 
these  continued  to  press  forward  desperately,  hop- 
ing to  force  a  passage  by  sheer  might  of  will  power. 
Truly,  their  bravery  was  worthy  of  a  better  cause. 

The  shock  of  battle  was  one  of  the  heaviest 
Deck's  battalion  had  ever  received,  and  for  sev- 
eral minutes  it  looked  as  if  the  four  companies 
must  go  to  pieces.  But  the  gallant  major  rallied 
his  forces,  and  the  Confederates  were  hemmed  in 
so  closely  that  they  could  neither  advance  nor 
retreat.  Sabre  blows  fell  thick  and  fast,  striking 
fire  in  a  dozen  spots  at  once,  and  fully  a  dozen 
horses  and  riders  went  down  in  less  than  five 
minutes. 


112  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION  » 

But  the  meeting,  if  sharp,  was  also  short,  and 
with  himself  and  two  of  his  officers  disabled,  the 
Confederate  leader  surrendered  and  the  fighting 
stopped.  Scarcely  had  Deck  received  word  that 
the  fight  was  won  than  Sandy  Lyon  rode  up,  as 
a  special  messenger  from  Major  Belthorpe. 

"  Tlie  infantry  are  in  the  lower  end  of  the 
hemp  field,"  said  Lieutenant  Sandy.  "  Where  is 
the  colonel,  please  ?  " 

"With  Major  Truman,"  responded  Deck. 
"  Does  Major  Belthorpe   need   reenforcements  ?  " 

"He  says  he  can  take  the  infantry  if  he  is 
given  two  more  companies." 

"  All  right ;  tell  him  I'll  be  over  as  soon  as  I 
can  get  there,"  was  the  major's  answer. 

He  turned  to  Captain  Richland,  in  charge  of 
the  second  division  of  the  first  battalion,  and  left 
it  to  the  third  and  fourth  companies  to  take 
charge  of  the  prisoners,  forty-two  in  number. 
This  done,  he  took  the  iirst  and  second  companies 
with  him,  and  rode  with  all  speed  in  the  direction 
his  cousin  had  pointed  out  to  him. 

His  arrival  came  none  too  soon,  for  Major  Bel- 
thorpe was  having  his  hands  full  with  the  infan- 
try of  the  enemy,  and  it  looked  as  if  they  might 


MAJOR    DECK    LYON    MAKES   A   PROMISE      113 

slip  through  his  fingers.  Finding  a  good  position 
near  the  rise  in  tlie  field,  Deck  managed  to  drive 
them  back  toward  a  position  they  had  occupied 
a  quarter  of  an  hour  before.  In  the  meantime 
word  had  reached  the  colonel  and  Major  Truman, 
and  the  third  battalion  came  up  on  a  gallop.  A 
charge  all  along  the  line  was  made,  and  the  Con- 
federate infantry  Avas  placed  in  full  retreat.  One 
company  was  captured,  but  tbe  others  took  to  the 
stony  ground  beyond  the  hemp  field,  and  under 
cover  of  darkness  managed  to  make  their  way, 
along  with  a  number  of  other  troops,  to  Ruther- 
ford Creek.  They  were  hotly  pursued  by  the 
second  and  the  third  battalions,  but  the  high 
Avater  in  the  creek  made  fording  out  of  the  ques- 
tion, and  the  Confederates  escaped  on  boats,  rafts, 
and  floating  logs. 

As  brilliant  as  had  been  Deck's  services  during 
the  day,  he  was  not  content  to  let  matters  rest  as 
they  stood.  Feeling  that  some  of  the  Confed- 
erate forces  might  still  be  in  the  vicinity,  he 
obtained  permission  to  go  on  a  scouting  tour 
along  the  creek,  taking  with  him  his  companion 
of  many  such  expeditions.  Life  Knox.  The  pair 
left  the  camp  quietly,  although  on  horseback,  and 


114  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION  , 

were  soon  out  of  sight  and  hearing  of  their 
comrades. 

"It  may  be  a  wild-goose  chase,"  said  Deck, 
referring  to  what  his  father  had  said  concerning 
the  expedition.  "But  if  we  return  empty-handed, 
there  will  be  no  harm  done." 

"  Just  exactly  my  way  of  looking  at  it,  Maj6r," 
answered  Life,  to  whom  the  backwoods  manner 
of  talking  was  now  a  thing  of  the  past.  Deck 
had  taught  him  how  to  speak  correctly,  and  for 
this  the  tall  Kentuckian  was  exceedingly  grate- 
ful. He  often  declared  that  it  was  Deck  who 
had  made  him  fit  to  be  an  officer  under  Uncle 
Sam. 

"General  Sheridan  is  bound  to  uncover  fhe 
enemy's  full  force,"  went  on  the  major,  as  he 
urged  Ceph  to  make  a  sturdy  leap  over  a  strong 
running  brook.     "  If  we  —  hullo,  what's  this  ?  " 

He  stopped  short,  as  Ceph  swerved  to  one  side, 
almost  unseating  him.  This  movement,  on  the 
part  of  the  intelligent  horse,  was  so  unusual  Deck 
knew  at  once  something  must  be  wrong.  "  What 
is  it,  Ceph  ?  "  he  questioned,  patting  the  steed  on 
the  neck. 

For  reply  the  liorse  turned  about  and  pointed 


MAJOR    DECK    LYON    MAKES    A    PROMISE      115 

his  nose  toward  the  meadow  grass  which  lie 
had  just  trodden.  The  major  leaped  down  and 
peered  into  the  semi-darkness. 

"A  Confederate  captain,  seriously  wounded  or 
dead,"  he  cried  to  Life.  "  Poor  fellow,  he  is 
hardly  more  than  a  boy,"  he  went  on,  gazing  on 
the  pale,  youthful  face,  along  one  side  of  which 
the  blood  had  flowed  and  dried.  "  Perhaps  we 
can  do  something  for  him,"  and  lie  knelt  over 
the  prostrate  body. 

Life  also  came  to  the  spot,  and  between  them 
they  raised  the  boyish  captain  up.  As  they  did 
this,  he  opened  his  eyes  and  gave  a  gasp. 

"  Water  !  "  he  murmured.     "  Water  !  " 

Plenty  of  water  was  handy,  and  filling  his  can- 
teen, Deck  gave  the  wounded  one  a  drink  and 
bathed  his  face,  after  which  he  started  to  bind 
up  the  injured  head  with  his  handkerchief. 

"  It's  no  use,  I'm  going  to  die,"  gasped  the 
Confederate,  not  able  to  speak  above  a  whisper. 
"  Are  you  —  you  Southern  men  ?  " 

"  We  belong  to  the  Kentucky  troops,"  an- 
swered Deck. 

"  Yes  ;  iDut  what  side  ?  " 

"We  are  on  the  side  of  the  Union." 


116  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

At  this  the  youtliful  captain  gave  a  groan. 
"  Then  I  —  I  can't  expect  anything  of  you.  Too 
bad  !  I  wanted  to  send  word  to  my  sister  —  " 
A  sudden  spasm  of  pain  caused  him  to  stop 
speaking. 

"  We  are  not  enemies,  Captain,  saving  on  the 
battlefield,"  said  Deck,  tenderl}^,  for  this  case 
appealed  strongly  to  his  considerate  heart.  "  You 
can  rest  assured  that  I  will  do  all  that  I  can  for 
you  —  within  the  lines  of  my  duty  to  the  govern- 
ment." 

"  Will  you  ?  You  —  you  look  like  an  honest 
fellow  —  and  you  are  3'oung,  like  me." 

"  The  major  is  all  right.  Captain,"  broke  in 
Life.     "  Trust  him    for   anything   he   promises." 

"•  I  come  from  Chattanooga,  where  I  lived  alone 
with  my  sister  Rosebel.  She  didn't  want  me  to 
join  the  army,,  and  we  —  we  quarrelled  —  "  The 
captain  gave  something  like  a  sob.  "  I  joined  the 
cavalry  —  ran  away  from  Rosebel  —  and  we  —  we 
quarrelled  so  hard  I  got  mad  and  took  the  money 
—  hid  it  away  —  down  in  the  back  cellar  —  in  an 
iron  pot  —  eight  hundred  dollars  in  gold.  If  you 
will  do  a  stranger  and  an  enemy  a  kindness,  go  to 
Rosebel,  —  or  send  word  —  ask  her  to  forgive  — 


MAJOR   DECK    LYON   MAKES   A   PROMISE      117 

ask  her  —  tell  her  I  am  so  sorry  —  so  sorry  —  " 
Again  the  captain  broke  off,  and  now  his  eyes 
closed. 

"  Let  me  give  him  a  bit  of  liquor,  Major," 
said  Knox,  and  poured  some  into  his  cup.  The 
wounded  youth  took  a  swallow,  and  it  gave  him 
temporary  strength. 

"Oh,  Rosebel,  if  I  could  only  see  you  again," 
he  murmured.  He  looked  at  Deck  searchingly. 
"  You  will  go  to  her  —  or  send  word  ?  " 

« I  will." 

"  Don't  forget  to  say  how  sorry  I  am  —  how 
ashamed  I  was  when  I  got  away  —  not  for  fight- 
ing for  my  country  —  for  the  glorious  stars  and 
bars  ;  but  because  I  —  I  treated  her  so.  She  was 
always  so  good,  since  mother  and  father  died." 

"  I  will  do  all  I  can  for  you.  But  your  name 
—  I  must  have  that,"  said  Deck.  The  captain 
had  fallen  back,  and  the  eyes  were  becoming 
glassy.  "  Perhaps  he  had  better  have  some 
more  liquor.   Life,"  he  cried. 

"My  name  is  Paul  —  my  name  is  Pa — "  The 
sufferer  broke  off  short.  In  vain  he  tried  to 
speak.  A  shudder  took  possession  of  him,  and 
he  stretched  out  —  dead. 


118  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION  , 

"  Gone  !  "  muttered  the  tall  Kentuckian.  "  Too 
bad.     And  only  a  boy,  Major." 

Deck  could  not  trust  himself  to  speak.  Dur- 
ing the  past  two  years  he  had  seen  many  men 
die,  but  no  death  had  affected  him  like  this. 
Two  tears  stole  silently  down. his  browned  cheeks. 

"Didn't  catch  his  name,  either?"  went  on  Life. 

"No." 

"Then  how  are  you  going  to  find  that  sister 
of  his  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  yet ;  but  I  will  find  a  way 
—  I  must,"  was  the  firm  answer.  He  felt  that 
the  dead  Confederate  had  intrusted  him  with  a 
mission  that  could  not  be  ignored. 

Ere  now  the  dead  had  been  left  where  they 
had  fallen,  but  both  Deck  and  Life  felt  they 
could  not  leave  this  boyish  captain  lying  in  the 
meadow  grass.  Looking  around,  they  found  a 
trench  dug  through  the  meadow  to  the  brook, 
and  in  a  dry  portion  of  this  they  deposited  the 
body,  first  relieving  it  of  a  watch,  a  pocket-knife, 
and  a  photograph  of  a  pleasant-looking  Southern 
girl,  presumedly  Rosebel.  The  sods  from  the 
trench  still  lay  upon  the  banks,  and  with  these 
and  some  loose  dirt  they  covered  up  the  corpse. 


MAJOR    DECK    LYON    MAKES    A    PROMISE      119 

Then  taking  a  long  stick,  Deck  cut  one  end  flat, 
and  marked  upon  it  with  a  heavy  pencil,  — 

Rosebel's  Paul  Lies  Buried  Here. 

The  stick  was  stuck  at  the  top  of  the  grave, 
and  silently  they  mounted  their  horses  once  more 
and  proceeded  on  their  way.  It  was  fully  ten 
minutes  before  either  of  them  spoke  again,  and 
then  the  subject  was  something  of  an  entirely 
different  nature. 

"  Halt,  Major  !  "  It  was  Life  who  uttered  the 
word,  speaking  in  a  whisper.  The  tall  Ken- 
tuckian  had  discerned  three  forms  moving  be- 
fore them  in  the  darkness. 

Deck  also  saw  them,  and  brought  Ceph  to  a 
stop.  The  three  forms  were  on  foot,  but  whether 
friends  or  foes  they  could  not  tell. 

They  had  reached  the  edge  of  the  creek,  and 
above  the  spot  was  a  patch  of  woods,  while  be- 
low was  a  long  meadow,  cut  up  into  numerous 
brooks.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  creek  was 
another  patch  of  woods  much  denser  than  the 
first  mentioned. 

"  This  is  the  spot,  Leftenant,"  they  heard  one 
of  the  party  of  three  remark. 


120  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION  • 

"  Are  you  sure,  Bolder  ? "  came  in  a  second 
voice.     "  Remember,  you  were  mistaken  before." 

"  Well,  I'm  not  mistaken  now,"  answered 
Bolder.     "Here  is  the  very  tree  I  notched." 

"  Yes,  this  is  the  trail,"  came  in  a  third  voice. 
"  And  I  don't  believe  there  has  been  a  single 
Yankee  around." 

"  I  trust  not,  Peters.  But  we  are  not  out  of 
the  woods  yet  —  in  more  ways  than  one.  The 
raft  may  be  gone,  and  fording  this  stream  in 
such  a  flood  as  this  is  entirely  out  of  the  ques- 
tion." 

"  Oh,  we  could  get  over  alone,  Leftenant," 
answered  the  man  named  Bolder.  "  But  that 
wouldn't  be  getting  over  those  cases  of  ammuni- 
tion and  that  field-pi — " 

"  Hush,"  came  in  a  warning  from  the  lieuten- 
ant. "  You  don't  know  but  what  some  of  those 
hanged  Yankees  may  be  around  here." 

"  That's  true,  though  I  didn't  see  any  of  'em 
as  we  came  along." 

"  Perhaps,  Bolder,  you  had  better  make  a  cir- 
cuit of  the  woods  before  we  get  to  work,"  said 
the  lieutenant,  a  moment  later.  "  We  don't  want 
to  be  surprised  at  our  task." 


MAJOR   DECK   LYON    MAKES    A    PROMISE      121 

"As  you  say,  Lef tenant;  Tom  Bolder  is  here  to 
obey  Lef  tenant  Blackrook  every  time." 

"  Then  go  at  once,  and  if  you  see  anything 
alarming,  give  the  whistle  before  agreed  upon," 
rejoined  Lieutenant  Blackrook,  as  he  and  Peters 
moved  into  the  grove  of  trees. 

In  a  moment  more  Bolder  had  started  off,  gun 
on  his  shoulder.  His  course  was  almost  directly 
toward  a  clump  of  bushes  behind  which  Deck 
and  Life  had  sought  shelter,  and  from  which  spot 
they  had  overheard  all  that  had  been  said. 


CHAPTER   X 

A   TRIP   ON   A   RAFT 

The  talk  of  the  three  Confederates  had  filled 
the  young  major  with  interest.  Evidently  they 
had  belonged  to  the  troops  just  defeated,  and 
they  were  now  on  their  way  to  escape  to  the 
south  of  Rutherford  Creek,  as  the  main  body  on 
the  retreat  had  gone. 

But  this  was  not  all.  A  raft  had  been  men- 
tioned, also  some  cases  of  ammunition,  and 
something  had  been  spoken  of  that  sounded  as 
if  it  might  have  been  meant  for  a  field-piece. 
This  looked  as  if  the  three  Confederates  in- 
tended to  transfer  some  army  property  as  well 
as  themselves  to  a  safer  locality  for  men  and 
goods. 

It  was  too  dark  for  either  Deck  or  Life  to 
make  out  the  uniforms  of  the  enemies,  but  they 
were  inclined  to  believe  that  they  belonged 
to  some  Southern  battery  which  Wheeler  had 
brought  along,  but  which  the  Confederate  com- 

122 


A   TRIP   ON   A   RAFT  123 

mander  had  been  unable  to  bring-  into  use.  It 
instantly  crossed  Deck's  mind  that  it  would  be 
a  big  thing  to  bag  the  men,  and  even  a  bigger 
thing  to  seize  the  ammunition  and  the  field- 
piece. 

But  now  a  difficulty  arose  —  a  difficulty  which 
must  be  met  and  settled  on  the  spot.  One  of 
the  Confederates  was  coming  toward  them. 
What  was  to  be  done  with  the  man? 

Deck  did  not  doubt  but  that  Life  and  himself 
were  more  than  a  match  for  the  half-starved 
upholder  of  a  mistaken  cause.  They  could  easily 
compel  him  to  surrender  at  the  point  of  the 
pistol,  or  they  might  throw  him  down  and  gag 
him  before  he  had  'any  chance  to  make  an 
outcry. 

But  would  this  be  doing  just  the  right  thing, 
all  circumstances  considered  ?  Might  not  the 
loss  of  one  of  their  number  frighten  off  the 
two  others,  and  if  the  cases  of  ammunition  and 
the  field-piece  were  hidden  away,  could  Life 
and  himself  find  the  things  in  that  woods,  filled 
as  it  was  with  rocks  and  brush  ?  More  than 
likely  the  articles  had  been  hidden  away  with 
care,  especially  the  boxes  of  ammunition. 


124  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION  » 

To  Deck's  waj^  of  thinking,  the  only  thing 
to  do  was  to  escape  the  observation  of  the  fel- 
low called  Bolder,  and  then  follow  him  up  to 
where  the  army  stores  and  the  gun  were  hidden. 
After  this  it  would  be  time  enough  to  close  in 
on  the  enemy,  bring  them  to  terms,  and  confis- 
cate all  they  were  in  charge  of  that  was  of 
value. 

Doubtless  Captain  Knox's  thoughts  were  simi- 
lar to  those  of  Deck's,  for  as  the  Confederate 
artillerist  advanced,  he  looked  inquiringly  at 
his  companion,  and  uttered  the  monosyllable, 
"  Well  ?  " 

"  We  must  not  be  discovered,"  whispered  the 
major.     "  Turn  to  the  left.     Easy,  Ceph,  easy  !  " 

The  horse  understood  the  words  of  caution 
and  moved  off  as  silently  as  a  shadow  of  the 
night,  to  another  clump  of  bushes.  Life  fol- 
lowed, and  his  steed,  also  well  trained,  made  no 
more  noise  than  did  Ceph.  The  course  of  the 
pair  took  them  out  of  the  semicircle  Bolder  had 
started  to  make  around  the  patch  of  woods,  and 
the  Confederate  passed  fifty  or  sixty  feet  to  their 
left. 

"  Now  we  will   follow  him,"  whispered   Deck, 


A  TRIP   ON   A   RAFT  125 

when  Bolder's  back  was  partly  turned  upon  them. 
"  Be  on  your  guard  against  a  surprise,  Life  ;  there 
may  be  more  Confederates  in  this  vicinity." 

"  I'm  always  on  my  guard,"  was  the  laconic 
reply,  as  both  horses  moved  off  with  care. 

The  course  around  the  woods  was  a  rugged 
one,  and  the  journey  took  the  best  part  of 
twenty  minutes.  At  times  they  lost  sight  of 
Bolder,  but  never  more  than  for  half  a  minute 
at  a  time.  Once  they  caught  the  Confederate 
looking  behind  him  and  promptly  disappeared 
from  view  into  a  ditch,  where  flowed  several 
inches  of  water. 

The  detour  on  the  part  of  the  enemy  having 
come  to  an  end.  Bolder  struck  out  for  the  centre 
of  the  thicket.  Here  it  was  impossible  to  ride 
without  making  considerable  noise,  and  the  major 
and  Life  dismounted  and  fastened  the  animals 
to  a  tree. 

"Is  that  you,  Bolder?"  came  in  the  voice  of 
Lieutenant  Blackrook,  as  the  scout  came  Into  a 
clearing  near  the  centre  of  the  woods  and  at 
a  point  where  there  was  a  fair-sized  inlet  from 
the  creek. 

"  Yes." 


126  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION  , 

"All  clear?" 

"  Not  a  soul  in  sight,  Leftenant.  I  guess 
our  boys  are  further  up  the  stream,  and  tlie 
Yankees  are  below." 

"  I  don't  care  where  the  Yanks  are  —  so  long 
as  they  don't  come  here,"  muttered  the  Confed- 
erate officer.  "  Hurry  up,  or  we'll  be  all  night 
at  this  job." 

"Is  the  raft  here?" 

"  Yes,  under  yonder  bushes.  Help  Peters  carry 
down  the  three  boxes  of  ammunition,  and  then 
the  three  of  us  can  see  what  we  can  do  with 
the  field-piece.  I'm  afraid  it  is  pretty  well  stuck 
in  the  mud,  and  we  may  have  to  use  a  log  or 
two  to  budge  her." 

"  How  about  bosses  on  the  other  side  ?  "  asked 
Bolder.  "  We  can't  drag  the  gun  by  hand,  even 
if  she  is  light." 

"  We'll  find  horses,  never  fear.  Come,  get  to 
work,  and  I'll  take  a  hand  myself." 

Deck  was  in  hopes  that  the  Confederates  would 
bring  forth  their  ammunition  and  the  field-piece 
without  delay  ;  but  such  was  not  the  case.  They 
first  went  to  work  on  the  raft,  a  clumsy  affair 
built    of   two   logs    and   a  dozen  rough   two-inch 


A   TRIP    ON    A    RAFT  127 

hemlock  planks.  The  raft  had  become  wedged 
in  under  the  brush  overgrowing  the  bank  of  the 
inlet,  and  the  trio  tugged  and  strained  at  a  rope 
to  bring  her  away.  Evidently,  like  many  other 
Southerners,  they  were  not  used  to  work,  and  the 
task  proceeded  with  many  growls  from  all  hands. 

The  raft  brought  over  to  the  inner  end  of 
the  inlet,  the  three  Confederates  took  a  breath- 
ing spell  and  passed  around  a  bottle  which  the 
lieutenant  carried.  A  plug  of  tobacco  also  went 
the  round,  each  whittling  off  a  piece  to  suit  him- 
self, with  his  jack-knife.  Then  the  three  started 
along  a  dry  gully  just  above  the  inlet.  A  thrash- 
ing around  in  some  brush  followed. 

"  Here  we  are  !  "  cried  the  lieutenant.  "  What 
a  pity  we  didn't  have  a  chance  to  use  that  gun 
and  the  canister  against  the  Yanks  !  " 

"  Never  mind,  we'll  use  'em  another  time," 
answered  Peters.  "  Catch  hold,  Bolder,"  and  he 
began  to  handle  one  of  the  ammunition  cases. 

Deck  had  seen  enough,  and  now  he  touched 
Life  on  the  arm,  and  the  two  retreated  to  a  dis- 
tance where  it  would  be  safe  to  talk.  "  We've 
spotted  the  things,"  he  said.  "  What  do  you 
advise  as  the  next  move  to  make  ?  " 


128  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION  ♦ 

"  That  is  for  you  to  say,  Major." 

"  See  here,  Life,  don't  major  me  so  much.  You 
used  to  call  me  Deck.  Perhaps  I  had  better  ad- 
dress you  as  captain  in  the  future." 

"  Don't  you  do  it,  Deck,"  pleaded  the  Ken- 
tuckian.  "  I  won't  say  major  again,  excepting 
when  we  are  in  the  ranks." 

"All  right.  Now,  what  do  you  think?  I  want 
your  advice." 

"  Well,  I  reckon  we  want  to  capture  the  gun 
and  the  ammunition." 

"That  goes  without  saying." 

"  And  we  likewise  want  to  take  the  fellows 
prisoners." 

"  Certainly,  if  it  can  be  done  —  and  I  think 
it  can." 

"  Then  what  more  is  there  to  say,  Majo — ,  I 
mean  Deck?" 

"  Something  quite  important.  Shall  we  move 
against  them  at  once,  or  wait  until  the  gun  and 
the  ammunition  are  loaded  on  the  raft  ?  " 

Life  Knox  stared  at  the  speaker  for  a  moment 
in  perplexity.  Then  a  grin  overspread  his  good- 
natured  face.  "  Reckon  we'll  let  them  do  the 
work,  seeing  that  the  stuff  will  be  better  on  the 


A   TRIP    ON   A   RAFT  129 

raft  than  off  it.  We  can't  do  anything  in  the 
woods  with  sucli  heavy  luggage  ;  but  we  might 
pole  that  raft  to  some  safe  place  in  the  Union 
territory." 

"Now  you've  struck  it,  Life  —  just  what  was 
passing  in  my  own  mind.  Come,  we'll  watch  the 
work,  and  I'll  give  the  signal  to  open  the  ball 
with  them." 

When  they  reached  their  first  point  of  observa- 
tion, they  discovered  that  two  cases  of  ammuni- 
tion had  already  been  transferred  to  the  raft. 
The  third  followed,  and  then  a  rope  was  attached 
to  the  field-piece,  a  small  affair,  but  one  capable 
of  doing  good  execution  in  the  hands  of  a  skilful 
gunner. 

The  men  strained  and  swore  at  the  hard  work, 
and  Deck  and  Life  were  glad  they  had  concluded 
to  let  the  enemy  undertake  it  instead  of  them- 
selves. To  the  rope  two  logs  were  added  as  im- 
plements by  which  to  start  the  piece,  and  at  last 
it  rolled  over  a  rock  in  front  of  it,  and  they  hauled 
it  to  the  water's  edge.  Here  arose  another  diffi- 
culty, and  the  piece  was  not  placed  on  board  until 
it  had  run  the  risk  of  dropping  to  the  bottom  of 
the  inlet.     The  weight  of  the  gun  sent  the  top  of 


130  AN    UNDIVIDED  UNION  i 

the  raft  under  water,  and  the  lower  box  of  ammu- 
nition received  a  wetting.  The  others,  having 
been  placed  on  top  of  the  first,  remained  uninjured. 

"  Take  the  lieutenant  and  cover  him  well, 
Life !  "  whispered  Deck ;  and  it  must  be  con- 
fessed that  he  was  growing  excited.  "  I  will  cover 
the  man  we  followed  around  the  woods.  All 
ready  ?  " 

"  Wait  till  I  take  to  the  other  side  of  the  inlet," 
answered  the  captain  of  the  seventh  company  of 
the  Riverlawns.     He  moved  off  immediately. 

A  low  whistle  told  Deck  when  he  was  ready, 
and  the  major  aimed  his  pistol  at  the  Confederate 
lieutenant,  who  was  assisting  in  casting  off  the 
rope  which  held  the  raft  to  the  shore.  The  man 
Life  was  covering  stood  on  the  raft,  with  his 
comrade,  ready  to  pole  the  craft  out  into  the 
creek. 

"  Surrender!  "  The  word  rang  out  loudly, 
and  its  force  covered  up  any  nervousness  Deck 
may  have  felt. 

The  command  took  the  three  Confederates 
completely  by  surprise.  One  of  them  dropped 
his  pole,  and  the  lieutenant  let  go  the  rope  and 
straightened  up. 


A    TKIP    ON    A    RAFT  131 

"  What's  that  ?  "  he  queried,  as  if  he  had  not 
heard  aright. 

"  Surrender  !  "  repeated  Life  Knox,  from  the 
opposite  side  of  the  inlet.  "  If  you  don't,  every 
one  of  you  is  a  dead  man  !  " 

"Throw  down  your  pistols,"  went  on  Deck, 
and  the  men  turned  again  toward  the  spot  from 
which  the  first  voice  had  come.  Of  course  the 
major  and  the  captain  kept  themselves  well  con- 
cealed from  view,  and  the  Confederates  saw  noth- 
ing in  the  gloom. 

"  Who  are  you  ?  "  questioned  Lieutenant  Black- 
rook,  grating  his  teeth  in  chagrin. 

"We're  a  detachment  of  Union  troops  —  true 
blue  Kentucky  cavalry  —  and  each  man  a  crack 
shot.  Do  you  surrender,  or  do  you  prefer  to 
be  bored  full  of  holes  ?  " 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,  don't  shoot  me  down 
like  a  dog  !  "  burst  out  Bolder,  whose  name 
belied  his  nature. 

"  Shut  up.  Bolder  !  "  yelled  the  lieutenant. 
"  How  many  of  you  out  there  ? "  he  went  on, 
and  at  the  same  moment  leaped  on  the  raft 
with  the  evident  intention  of  hiding  behind 
the  boxes  of  ammunition. 


132  AN    UNDIVIDED   UNION  , 

"  Halt  !  I'll  give  you  five  seconds  in  which 
to  throw  down  your  arms,"  went  on  Deck, 
and  began  to  count  off  the  seconds.  More 
frightened  than  ever,  Bolder  flung  his  pistol  in 
the  brush  at  Deck's  feet,  and,  seeing  this,  Peters 
did  the  same,  and  followed  the  pistol  up  with 
a  sword  he  carried. 

The  Confederate  lieutenant,  however,  was 
game,  and  dodging  behind  the  boxes  of  ammu- 
nition made  a  leap  from  the  inlet  into  the 
creek  proper.  Deck  immediately  fired  at  him, 
but  owing  to  the  darkness,  the  major's  aim  was 
poor  and  the  bullet  passed  harmlessly  by.  Life 
Knox  also  took  a  shot,  with  no  better  result. 
Listening,  they  heard  the  lieutenant  come  up 
and  strike  out  for  the  opposite  shore.  But  he 
kept  as  far  under  the  surface  as  his  necessary 
breathing  allowed,  and  the  darkness  speedily 
hid  him  entirely  from  view. 

Satisfied  that  Bolder  and  Peters  had  no  other 
weapons  than  those  thrown  down.  Deck  and 
Life  came  out  into  the  open.  As  they  did  this, 
however.  Deck  turned  back,  as  if  speaking  to 
others  in  the  brush.  "  You  fellows  keep  back 
until  I  tell  you  to  come  out,"  he  said,  and   the 


A   TRIP    ON    A    RAFT  133 

two  Confederates  immediately  felt  certain  that 
a  detachment  of  at  least  eight  or  ten  Yankees 
had  surrounded  them. 

"  Are  you  willing  to  submit  quietly  ? "  de- 
manded the  major,  approaching  Peters,  for  he 
felt  sure  Bolder  would  do  nothing  of  his  own 
account. 

"  Can't  help  myself,  Cap'n,"  answered  Peters, 
who  had  not  yet  discovered  the  young  officer's 
rank. 

"  Are  there  any  more  of  your  kind  about 
here  ?  " 

"I  don't  reckon  there  are,  Cap'n." 

"  Where  have  the  others  gone  ?  " 

"  Don't  know  as  I  kin  answer  that  question, 
Major.  Say,  this  is  a  right  handsome  bit  of 
work  for  an  officer  as  young  as  you,  Major." 

"I  want  to  know  how  close  your  nearest 
troops  are  to  us  ?  " 

Before  Peters  could  answer,  a  pistol  cracked 
out  from  the  opposite  shore  of  the  creek.  The 
ball  whistled  through  the  trees  over  Deck's  head. 

Crack  !  It  was  Life-  Knox's  weapon  in  rejDly, 
but  whether  or  not  any  damage  was  done  could 
not  be  determined. 


134  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

» 

"  We  must  leave  this  spot,  Deck  !  "  cried  the 
tall  Kentuckian.  "  Whoever  fired  that  shot  has 
our  range  here." 

"  It  must  be  that  lieutenant,"  answered  Deck, 
and  he  was  right.  Lieutenant  Blackrook  had 
swum  directly  across  the  creek  and  was  now 
firing  as  rapidly  as  possible. 

"  Tell  the  rascal  to  stop,  or  he  may  hit  you," 
said  Life  to  the  two  Confederates. 

"  Stop  that  firing  !  "  roared  Bolder.  "  Don't 
hit  your  friends  !  " 

"  Take  to  the  water,  you  cowards  !  "  came  in 
the  lieutenant's  voice,  and  he  fired  again,  a  shot 
that  both  Deck  and  Life  returned. 

Nobody  was  touched,  and  now  Deck  ordered 
the  Confederates  to  pole  the  raft  into  the  creek 
and  down  that  watercourse,  as  he  remembered 
what  had  been  said  about  the  Southern  forces 
being  further  up.  All  he  desired  at  present 
was  to  get  out  of  reach  of  the  enemy,  and  re- 
main so  until  he  could  get  reenforcements. 

Inside  of  two  minutes  the  raft  was  out  of 
the  inlet,  and  the  trip  down  the  stream  began. 
The  flow  of  the  current  was  in  their  favor,  and 


A    TRIP    ON    A    KAFT  135 

soon  the  woods  was  left  behind,  and  they  came 
out  between  meadow  banks  on  both  sides.  The 
Confederates  remained  passive  enough,  and  Deck 
gave  his  whole  attention  to  discovering  a  suit- 
able landing  place  —  one  which  might  put  him 
within  easy  call  of  assistance. 

As  has  been  said,  it  had  grown  dark,  and  now 
a  fog  began  to  creep  over  the  meadows  and  the 
creek,  gradually  shutting  every  object  but  those 
close  at  hand,  from  view.  The  fog  was  very 
penetrating,  and  all  on  board  began  to  shiver 
with  the  cold. 

"  Where  are  you  goin'  to  take  us  ? "  asked 
Bolder,  presently. 

"  To  a  safe  place,  my  man,"  answered  Life. 
"  Better  not  ask  any  more  questions." 

"  We  are  booked  for  a  Northern  prison,  I 
reckon,"  said  Peters,  gloomily.  "  If  those  prisons 
are  as  bad  as  I've  been  told  they  are,  I'd  rather 
be  shot  than  taken  to  one." 

"  All  right ;  we'll  shoot  you  if  you  say  so," 
rejoined  the  Kentuckian ;  and  then  the  Confed- 
erates relapsed  once  more  into  silence. 

"  There   seems   to   be    a  bend   here  — "  began 


136  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION  i 

Deck,  a  moment  later.  "  The  fog  is  so  thick  I 
can't  see  if  we  are  turning  to  the  left  or  the 
right.     If  we  —  " 

He  got  no  further,  for  a  shock  told  him  that 
the  raft  had  grounded.  A  cry  of  consternation 
escaped  his  lips.  They  were  on  the  Confederate 
side  of  the  swollen  stream. 


CHAPTER   XI 

THE   ENCOUNTER   AT   THE    RAILROAD   TRESTLE 

"  Here's  a  pretty  mess,  Life  !  " 

"  We'd  better  get  off  just  as  quick  as  we  can," 
answered  the  captain  of  the  seventh  company. 
"  For  all  we  know  to  the  contrary  there  may 
be  two  or  three  thousand  rebels  around  this 
shore." 

"  Pole  her  off !  "  cried  Deck  to  the  Confeder- 
ates, and  ran  to  assist.  Bolder  began  to  do  as 
directed,  but  Peters,  without  looking  back, 
leaped  for  the  ground  beyond,  and  ran  for  it  as 
rapidly  as  his  long  legs  would  carry  him.  Life 
was  about  to  fire  on  him,  when  the  major  checked 
him. 

"  Don't  do  it.  Life ;  it  may  bring  the  enemy 
around  our  ears." 

"  Right  you  are.  Deck,"  answered  the  Ken- 
tuckian.  "  But  don't  you  dare  to  go,"  and  he 
shook  his  weapon  threateningly  at  Bolder. 

"  I  ain't  goin',"  was  the  sullen  response,  and 
137 


138  A]S    UNDIVIDED    UNION  i 

the  Confederate  began  to  use  his  pole,  although 
straining  his  eyes  in  the  hope  that  Peters  or 
Lieutenant  Blackrook  would  appear  with  aid 
for  him. 

But  nobody  came,  and  in  a  few  minutes  more 
the  raft  was  again  in  midstream.  Deck  now 
kept  her  headed  for  the  other  shore,  and  before 
long  they  drifted  up  into  a  meadow  which  was 
overflown  for  several  acres.  Here  they  ground  so 
hard  it  was  impossible  to  budge  the  unwieldy 
craft ;  and  the  voyage  came  to  a  termination. 

Before  leaving  the  raft.  Deck  bound  Bolder's 
hands  behind  him.  Looking  across  the  meadow 
they  discovered  a  farmhouse  not  over  a  hundred 
yards  away,  and  hurried  in  that  direction. 

"Major  Lyon,  where  have  you  been?"  the 
cry  came  from  Major  Tom  Belthorpe.  "  You 
look  as  if  you  had  been  lost  in  the  fog." 

"  We  were  —  a  short  time,"  answered  Deck. 
He  looked  around  and  saw  that  Tom  had  a 
dozen  soldiers  with  him.  "  I  don't  know  what 
you  and  your  men  are  doing  here,  but  if  you 
haven't  anything  in  particular  to  do,  I'd  like 
you  to  help  Captain  Knox  and  myself." 

"Why,  what's  up?" 


ENCOUNTER    AT    THE    KAILKOAD    TRESTLE      139 

"  We  went  out  on  a  scouting  tour  and  cap- 
tured one  rebel,  three  boxes  of  ammunition,  and 
a  small  field-piece." 

The  eyes  of  Kate  Belthorpe's  brother  opened 
very  widely.  "  Jee-rusa-lem  !  but  you  are  doing 
things  by  the  wholesale.  Major,  —  one  reb,  three 
boxes  of  ammunition,  and  a  gun !  Where  are 
they?" 

"  Down  in  the  meadow  lot  below  here.  But 
you  haven't  told  me  what  brought  you  here 
yet." 

"  Four  prisoners  got  away  and  we  gave  chase, 
—  that  is,  my  men  did.  I  met  them  on  the 
road  and  came  along,  just  for  the  excitement. 
We  collared  three  of  them,  and  the  fourth 
escaped  in  the  fog.     Certainly,  I'll  go  with  you." 

The  pair  of  majors  set  off,  Belthorpe  taking 
six  men  with  him.  It  was  not  long  before 
Bolder  was  placed  among  the  other  prisoners, 
and  the  lot  were  hurried  to  the  prisoners'  camp, 
a  mile  and  three-quarters  away.  By  messenger 
Deck  sent  word  to  hi^  father  regarding  the 
capture  of  ammunition  and  the  field-piece. 

As  may  well  be  imagined.  Colonel  Lyon  was 
more  pleased  than  ever  over  this  new  exploit  of 


140  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION  » 

his  son.  The  matter  was  referred  to  the  com- 
mandant of  the  cavalry  forces,  and  soon  a  detail 
of  artillery  came  over  and  took  formal  charge 
of  the  capture.  Later  on  the  field-piece  was 
used  to  take  the  place  of  one  lost  on  Duck  River 
some  months  back. 

Van  Dorn  had  retreated  to  the  territory  south 
of  Rutherford  Creek,  and  for  the  present  no 
further  pursuit  was  inaugurated,  and  the  River- 
lawns  found  themselves  taking  it  easy,  enjoying 
a  well-earned  rest.  In  the  meantime  Morgan 
became  active  again,  and  the  second  division  of 
Reynold's  brigade,  under  Colonel  Hall,  was  sent 
in  his  pursuit.  The  division  took  a  stand  near 
Milton,  and  Morgan,  after  trying  in  vain  to 
dodge  to  the  right  or  the  left,  and,  after  a  stub- 
born contest  lasting  about  four  hours,  was  forced 
to  retreat,  with  heavy  losses. 

But  the  daring  Confederate  cavalry  leader, 
now  reenforced  by  some  of  the  best  Confederate 
soldiers  which  the  State  of  Kentucky  ever  reared, 
was  on  his  mettle,  and  resolved  to  make  his  raid 
in  that  State  a  success.  He  had  gone  to  Lib- 
erty, and  was  preparing  to  make  another  dash, 
when    Stanley's    cavalry    came    upon    him,    and 


ENCOUNTER   AT   THE   RAILROAD   TRESTLE      141 

forced  a  fight  between  Liberty  and  Snow  Hill. 
Morgan  fought  desperately,  but  Stanley  was  too 
wide-awake  for  him,  and  turned  his  left  flank, 
and  the  raiders  became  demoralized,  the  exact 
reason  for  which  has  never  been  explained.  Car- 
bines were  thrown  away,  horses  went  wild,  and 
teamsters  deserted  their  wagons  ;  and  the  battle 
ended  in  such  a  rout  that  it  took  Morgan  ten 
days  to  get  his  troops  together  again.  Many 
another  leader  would  have  given  up  in  disgust 
after  such  a  scene  as  this  ;  but  Morgan's  nerve 
was  of  iron,  and  he  acknowledged  no  such  word 
as  fail. 

It  was  about  the  middle  of  April  that  the  Riv- 
erlawns  received  word  to  move  again.  In  the 
meantime  Deck  had  not  forgotten  the  dead  Con- 
federate named  Paul  who  had  a  sister  called 
Rosebel  living  at  Chattanooga.  He  had  made 
diligent  inquiries  concerning  the  young  man  and 
his  family,  but,  so  far,  nothing  definite  had 
turned  up.  He  was  hoping  to  get  some  word 
from  such  prisoners  as  might  have  had  their 
homes  at  Chattanooga;  but  these  prisoners  were 
hard  to  find. 

The  movement  of   the    Riverlawns  was   again 


142  AN    UNDIVIDED   UNION  , 

in  connection  with  two  brigades  of  cavalry  under 
Minty.  To  this  force  was  united  three  brigades 
of  infantry  under  General  J.  Reynolds  and  Wil- 
der's  mounted  infantry.  Orders  were  to  proceed 
to  McMinnville,  take  possession  of  the  town,  and 
destroy  the  railroad  from  there  to  Manchester. 
If  the  expedition  should  prove  a  success  thus 
far,  the  troops  were  then  to  be  reenforced  by 
others  from  Carthage,  and  Morgan  was  to  be 
attacked  again. 

The  weather  was  not  bad  overhead,  although 
hardly  clear;  but  the  roads  were  in  a  deplorable 
condition,  and,  as  the  regiment  advanced  along 
the  road,  the  horses  sunk  up  to  their  fetlocks  in 
mud,  while  the  train  of  wagons  was  even  worse 
off.  At  short  distances  one  or  more  wagons  would 
get  stuck,  and  extra  horses  would  be  needed  to 
pull  the  vehicles  from  the  ruts.  After  proceed- 
ing with  the  cavalry  for  three  hours.  Captain 
Batterson's  battery  was  turned  back,  to  take  up  a 
position  which  was  being  guarded  near  the  river. 

The  railroad  reached,  at  a  point  just  outside 
of  the  town,  a  staff  officer  presented  himself  to 
Colonel  Lyon,  who  was  riding  at  ease,  with  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Gordon  at  his  side. 


ENCOUNTER    AT    THE    RAILROAD    TRESTLE       148 

"  Colonel  Lyon,  the  general  directs  that  you 
take  the  road  branching  off  just  below  here  and 
leading  to  the  trestle  work  of  the  railroad.  You 
are  to  destroy  as  much  of  the  trestle  and  the 
road-bed  of  the  railroad  as  you  can,  also  burn  all 
supplies  and  sheds  containing  the  same." 

"  Very  well ;  tell  General  Reynolds  I  will  do  my 
best,"  replied  Colonel  Lyon.  Then  turning,  he 
gave  the  necessary  orders,  and  the  Riverlawns 
detached  themselves  from  the  other  cavalry  and 
galloped  down  the  side  road  indicated. 

At  this  time  McMinnville  was  but  a  small 
place,  yet  it  boasted  of  a  newspaper,  and  the 
surrounding  territory  was  rich  in  fruit  and  other 
farms.  The  ground  in  spots  was  full  of  hollows, 
and  over  these  the  railroad  corporation  had  built 
a  series  of  trestles,  with  here  and  there  a  shed  and 
a  siding  for  freight  cars. 

Coming  within  sight  of  the  trestle  mentioned 
to  him.  Colonel  Lyon  found  it  guarded  by  a  small 
company  of  Southerners,  determined-looking  men, 
about  half  uniformed,  yet  each  with  a  trusty- 
looking  gun  in  his  hands.  The  Southerners 
opened  fire  without  any  parleying,  and  two 
cavalrymen  were  struck,  although  not  seriously. 


144  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

"  They  have  a  fine  position,  Colonel,"  remarked 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Gordon.  "They  are  above 
us,  and  that  planking  on  this  side  gives  them  a 
first-class  protection." 

"  That  is  right,  Gordon  ;  but  we'll  dislodge 
them  fast  enough,"  answered  Noah  Lyon,  confi- 
dently. A  leader  somewhat  against  his  will,  he 
had  now  studied  up  military  tactics  in  dead 
earnest,  and  with  him,  as  with  his  son  Deck, 
nothing  was  an  impossibility. 

The  first  battalion  was  ordered  to  halt  and  take 
a  safe  place  behind  a  slight  rise  of  ground  to 
the  northwest  of  the  trestle.  The  second  was 
marched  around  to  the  north,  and  the  third  to  the 
south.  This  done,  the  party  above  was  pretty 
well  surrounded.  Half  a  dozen  shots  were  ex- 
changed, but  the  planking  mentioned  protected 
the  Confederates,  and  they  did  not  budge. 

It  would  have  been  easy  to  have  advanced  upon 
the  party  from  both  ends  of  the  trestlework,  but 
this  would  have  cost  a  severe  loss  of  life,  and  the 
humane  colonel  was  for  protecting  his  men  from 
all  injury  if  the  thing  could  be  done. 

While  Colonel  Lyon  was  debating  in  his  mind 
what  should  be  his  next  movement,  Artie  came 


ENCOUNTER   AT   THE   RAILROAD   TRESTLE      145 

up  and  saluted,  having  received  the  proper  per- 
mission from  his  major.  The  young  captain  ob- 
served the  formalities  as  though  the  colonel  was 
of  no  relationship  to  him. 

"  Colonel,  I  have  to  report  something  which 
may  be  of  importance  to  you,"  he  said. 

"Well,  Captain,  what  is  it?"  smiled  the  colo- 
nel.    "  A  sure  way  to  defeat  the  enemy  ?  " 

"  Our  company  has  discovered  that  a  barrel  of 
tar  lies  at  the  northeast  end  of  the  trestle.  A 
freight  car  above  was  broken  open,  and  I  think 
the  barrel  was  jounced  out,  as  the  road-bed  seems 
to  be  very  uneven,  especially  at  the  curve." 

"The  tar  will  certainly  be  useful  to  us,  Artie." 

"Yes,  sir,  especially  as  the  wind  is  blowing 
from  the  northeast,"  went  on  the  captain.  "  Tar, 
you  know,  makes  a  good,  thick  smoke." 

The  colonel  stared  for  an  instant,  then  a  smile 
came  into  his  face. 

"  Artie,  I  see  you  are  bound  to  be  a  general 
like  Deck.  Your  plan  is  to  smoke  the  enemy 
out." 

"  I  only  mentioned  wh'at  we  had  found,  and 
how  the  wind  was  blowing,"  was  the  modest 
return. 


146  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION  » 

"  It  amounts  to  the  same  thing.  You  can  light 
that  barrel,  and  roll  it  as  close  up  to  the  enemy 
as  you  dare.  I  will  send  the  third  battalion 
around  to  the  lower  end  of  the  trestle.  Send 
Major  Belthorpe  to  me." 

Artie  retired,  and  presently  Tom  Belthorpe 
came  dashing  up.  He  was  told  to  keep  a  strict 
watch  through  the  smoke  for  the  enemy,  should 
they  turn  up  the  tracks.  Then  Colonel  Lyon 
galloped  off  with  the  third  battalion  in  the 
ojDposite  direction. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  tar  barrel  was  blaz- 
ing merrily,  and  to  add  to  the  smoke  some  of  the 
soldiers  threw  on  a  mass  of  dead  and  wet  brush. 
The  dense  cloud  rolled  upward,  and  the  wind 
carried  it  directly  to  the  spot  where  the  Confed- 
erates were  located.  In  the  midst  of  the  smoke 
the  barrel  was  rolled  closer,  until  it  set  fire  to  the 
northeast  end  of  the  trestle. 

Blinded  and  choked,  the  Confederates  fired 
several  volleys  at  random,  and  were  then  com- 
pelled to  seek  some  spot  where  a  breath  of  pure 
air  might  be  obtained.  Some  ran  up  the  tracks 
and  some  down,  and  these  engaged  the  second 
and   the   third   battalions.      A    few,   risking   life 


ENCOUNTER    AT    THE    RAILROAD    TRESTLE       147 

and  limb,  leaped  from  the  trestle  through  the  ad- 
vancing fire  beneath;  but  these  were  captured 
by  Major  Deck's  command,  each  man  being  fully- 
covered  as  he  landed. 

To  Life  Knox's  gallant  seventh  company  fell 
the  lot  of  resisting  the  majority  of  those  who  had 
defended  the  trestle,  and  a  desperate  conflict  took 
place  in  a  small  hollow  at  a  second  trestle  above 
the  first.  The  Confederate  company  was  scarcely 
drilled,  yet  each  man  knew  how  to  shoot,  and 
when  surrounded  the  fellows  discarded  their 
arms,  and  used  their  fists  and  such  clubs  as  they 
had  picked  up  on  the  railroad.  As  one  Irishman 
in  the  seventh  company  declared  afterward,  "  It 
was  the  most  delightful  Donnybrook  fair  he  had 
seen  since  lavin'  the  ould  country!  "  A  private 
of  Kentuckian  blood  declared,  "They  didn't  know 
enough  as  soldiers  to  surrender,  but  jest  fit,  an' 
fit,  an'  fit!  "  This  pitched  battle  was  laughed 
over  for  many  a  day  afterward.  In  the  end, 
however,  every  Confederate  was  taken  prisoner. 

By  the  time  the  contest  closed,  the  trestle  was 
burning  at  a  furious  rate,  and  the  regiment  was 
ordered  further  along.  Inside  of  an  hour  they 
found  themselves  in  McMinnville,  and  here  the 


148  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION  , 

battalions  were  divided.  A  portion  of  a  Con- 
federate regiment  had  taken  a  stand  at  a  cotton 
mill  not  a  great  distance  from  the  depot,  and 
Deck's  battalion  was  sent  to  the  place  to  dislodge 
them. 

With  the  intrepid  major  at  the  head,  the  four 
companies  advanced  on  the  double-quick  until 
the  cotton  mill  in  question  was  gained.  A  halt 
was  made,  and  as  several  shots  were  fired,  the 
major  directed  his  companies  to  take  shelter 
behind  a  number  of  outbuildings.  Here  several 
Confederates  were  brought  to  light  and  made 
prisoners. 

The  taking  of  the  cotton  mill  looked  as  if  it 
would  be  a  much  harder  task  than  had  been 
that  of  deposing  the  company  at  the  trestle. 
The  Confederates  were  located  at  every  window 
and  door  of  the  building,  and  as  soon  as  any 
one  of  Deck's  command  appeared  he  was  fired 
upon.  Moreover,  the  mill  stood  in  a  plot  of 
ground  by  itself,  so  it  could  not  be  approached 
excepting  by  a  dash  through  the  open. 

"  We  have  a  nice  bit  of  work  cut  out  for  us 
now.  Major,"  observed  Captain  Abbey,  of  the 
first  company,  as   he   gazed  at  the   solid-looking 


ENCOUNTER   AT   THE   RAILROAD   TRESTLE      149 

building  in  perplexity.  "  That  makes  a  first- 
class  fort." 

"  I  was  thinking  as  much  myself,"  answered 
Deck. 

"  Can't  we  smoke  them  out  —  as  we  did  down 
to  the  railroad?" 

"There  is  nothing  at  hand  with  which  to 
build  a  fire.  I  wouldn't  care  to  burn  the  fel- 
lows up,  either," 

"Then  let  them  come  out  and  surrender." 

"  The  mill  is  on  fire ! "  suddenly  shouted 
some  one.  "The  enemy  must  have  set  the 
blaze  themselves." 

The  report  was  correct,  and  in  a  minute  more 
a  heavy  volume  of  smoke  burst  from  several 
windows.  Men  leaped  from  half  a  dozen  open- 
ings, and  in  a  short  while  enough  had  gathered 
to  form  a  good-sized  company. 

"  Charge  !  "  yelled  a  captain,  savagely.  "  Break 
right  through  the  Northern  mudsills  !  " 

And  the  Confederates  charged,  straight  for 
the  two  companies  commanded  by  Captain  Rich- 
land and  Artie  Lyon. 


CHAPTER   XII 

IN   THE   BURNING   COTTON   MILL 

The  two  companies  were  in  such  positions 
that  Captain  Artie's  command  would  be  the 
first  to  receive  the  charge  of  the  Confederates, 
who  were  coming  on  yelling  like  demons.  The 
enemy  felt  that  the  chances  of  escape  were  slim, 
and  came  on  in  sheer  desperation ;  and  a  crowd 
of  desperate  men  can  accomplish  a  good  deal  at 
times. 

But  Artie,  youthful  as  he  was,  did  not  quail. 
As  rapidly  as  it  could  be  accomplished,  he 
wheeled  to  one  side  and  shouted  to  his  first 
line  to  "  Take  aim  —  fire  !  "  And  the  blaze  of 
the  carbines  caused  a  temporary  check. 

As  the  Confederates  came  on  again,  the  sec- 
ond line  emptied  their  weapons.  Again  there 
was  a  halt,  and  the  enemy's  line  split,  as  though 
the  men  had  thought  better  of  it  and  were  desir- 
ous of  running  around  the  Union  soldiers. 

Artie  saw  the  movement  and  turned  to  Cap- 
150 


IN   THE   BUKNING    COTTON    MILL  151 

tain  Richland.  "  I  can  take  care  of  the  crowd 
on  the  right,"  he  said. 

"All  right;  I'll  take  that  on  the  left,"  was 
the  quick  reply,  and  the  third  company  of 
the  first  battalion  opened  fire,  while  Artie's 
command  double-quicked  to  the  new  position 
indicated. 

Again  came  a  charge  against  the  fourth  com- 
pany. But  the  force  of  the  Confederates  now 
numbered  but  eighteen,  and  with  two  men  shot 
down  they  retreated  as  quickly  as  they  had 
charged,  and  sought  shelter  behind  the  cotton 
mill.  Here  the  first  company  dislodged  them, 
and  then  they  threw  down  their  arms. 

The  other  wing,  led  by  the  impetuous  cap- 
tain, hurled  itself  against  Captain  Richland's 
company.  The  Confederate  leader  was  sup- 
ported by  half  a  dozen  "  fire-eaters,"  and  about 
two  score  men;  and  although  the  charge  was 
not  entirely  successful,  yet  in  the  general  melee 
resulting,  the  captain  and  about  half  of  those 
behind  him  managed  to  escape.  The  others  were 
either  shot  down  or  added  to  the  prisoners  pre- 
viously taken. 

The    mill  was   now   burning    furiously  at    one 


152  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION  » 

end,  making  one  of  the  hottest  fires  the  Lyon 
boys  had  ever  witnessed.  In  it  were  stored 
hundreds  of  bales  of  cotton  which  the  owners 
had  been  trying  to  work  off  in  one  way  or 
another  for  months,  but  without  success,  for 
the  cotton  trade  of  the  Southern  states  was 
glutted,  the  blockade  runners  from  Europe 
carrying  away  only  a  small  portion  of  the 
product. 

"  That  building  is  doomed,"  observed  Deck 
to  Artie,  who  had  come  up,  breathing  heavily 
after  his  hard  work  in  disarming  a  burly 
ruffian  who  had  tried  to  cut  him  down  from 
behind.  "We  may  as  well  move  on  with  our 
prisoners." 

Deck  had  scarcely  spoken,  when  a  cry  rent 
the  air.  The  cry  came  in  a  man's  voice,  and 
was  full  of  agony  and  terror. 

"  Help  !  help  !  help  !  " 

"  The  cry  comes  from  the  other  end  of  the 
mill,"  exclaimed  Artie.  "Come  on  around  and 
see  what  is  up,"  and  'he  ran  off;  for  he  was  on 
foot,  as  was  also  the  major. 

The  end  to  which  the  captain  had  referred  was 
not  yet  in  a  blaze,  but  the  smoke  was  curling 


IN   THE   BURNING    COTTON   MILL  153 

from  every  opening,  showing  that  the  fire  was 
making  rapid  headway  in  that  direction.  Pres- 
ently came  a  change  in  the  wind,  causing  the 
smoke  to  veer  around. 

"It's  a  man  —  in  that  upper  window  !  "  ejacu- 
lated Artie,  pointing  with  his  hand.  ''  Why 
don't  you  jump  down  ?  "    he  yelled. 

"  I  can't  !  "  came  in  a  painful  gasp.  "  My  leg 
is  caught  fast  in  some  machinery  and  I  can't 
loosen  it.  Save  me,  for  the  love  of  Heaven  ! 
Don't  let  me  die  like  this  —  even  if  I  am  a 
Confederate  !  " 

"  Caught  fast  !  "  echoed  Deck.  "  Can't  you 
break  away  at  all  ?  " 

"  No  !  no  !  Reckon  my  leg  is  broken  !  "  The 
unfortunate  one  gave  a  moan  of  pain.  "  Won't 
you  do  something  for  me  ?  " 

"I  will  —  if  it  can  be  done,"  answered  Deck. 
He  turned  to  the  cavalrymen  standing  near. 
"  Boys,  have  any  of  you  seen  a  ladder  about  ? " 

One  and  another  shook  their  heads.  "  There's 
a  box,"  said  one,  "but  it's  not  over  three  feet 
high,  and  the  window  is  twenty  feet  up." 

"  The  box  won't  do.     How  about  a  rope  ?  " 

"  Here's  a  stout  cord,"  said  another. 


154  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION  » 

"  Not  heavy  enough." 

"  Help  me  —  quick  !  The  fire  is  coming  this 
way  !  "  shrieked  the  imperilled  Confederate. 
"  Save  me,  and  I'll  give  you  all  I'm  worth  !  " 

"  I'm  coming  !  "  answered  Deck.  "  I  wonder 
where  the  stairs  are,"  he  half  muttered,  as  he 
turned  toward  one  of  the  entrances  to  the  mill. 

"  For  gracious'  sake.  Deck,  what  are  you  going 
to  do  ?  "  cried  Artie. 

"  Going  to  that  fellow's  aid." 

"  But  it's  not  safe  to  enter  the  building.  The 
fire  is  working  this  way  just  as  hard  as  it  can." 

'.'I'll  risk  it,  Artie;  I  don't  want  to  see  that 
poor  fellow  die  like  a  rat  in  a  trap." 

"  Yes,  but  —  but  —  " 

"  There  is  no  time  to  waste,  Artie,"  answered 
Deck,  and  breaking  away  from  the  hold  the  cap- 
tain had  taken,  he  leaped  for  the  wide-open  door 
of  the  mill. 

"  If  he  goes,  I'll  go  too,"  cried  Artie,  and 
started  to  follow  the  major  ;  but  strong  hands 
held  him  back. 

"  One  is  enough,"  said  Captain  Abbey.  "  I 
trust  he  is  successful." 

Captain    Richland    shook   his   head   seriously. 


IN    THE    BURNING    COTTON    MILL  155 

"  The  fire  is  sweeping  to  this  quarter  of  the 
building  with  great  swiftness,"  he  remarked. 

Into  the  building  rushed  Deck,  to  find  himself 
at  once  in  an  atmosphere  charged  with  smoke, 
yet  not  so  heavily  but  that  he  could  see  about 
him.  To  his  left  was  a  rough  wooden  stairway 
with  an  iron  rod  for  a  hand-rail.  Leaping  for 
this,  he  began  to  mount  the  stairs  three  steps  at  a 
time. 

The  higher  up  he  went,  the  thicker  became 
the  smoke,  and  on  the  upper  flooring  he  could 
scarcely  breathe.  Bending  low,  to  get  the  benefit 
of  any  air  which  might  be  circulating,  he  crept 
along  in  the  direction  of  the  Confederate  sufferer. 
He  had  gone  but  a  dozen  steps  Avhen  he  halted. 
Before  him  was  what  ajDpeared  to  be  a  solid 
wooden  partition. 

"Hi!  where  are  you?"  he  called  out  ;  but  the 
fire  had  now  crept  so  close  that  the  crackling  of 
the  flames  drowned  out  every  other  sound.  Feel- 
ing that  it  would  be  a  waste  of  precious  time  to 
remain  where  he  was,  he  ran  along  the  wooden 
barrier  from  one  end  to  the  other.  A  door  at 
last  was  found,  but  it  was  tightly  closed  and 
refused  to  budge. 


166  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION  , 

Taking  his  sabre,  Deck  attempted  to  get  it  in 
the  crack  between  the  door  and  its  frame.  The 
point  only  could  be  introduced,  and  not  caring  to 
break  this  off,  he  withdrew  the  blade.  By  this 
time  the  smoke  was  making  him  dizzy,  and  he 
flew  for  a  window  to  get  some  air. 

"Help!"  he  heard  the  Confederate  cry  again, 
and  now  made  a  discovery  he  fancied  would  be 
of  advantage  to  him  in  his  endeavor  to  assist  the 
unfortunate  man.  The  window  to  which  he  had 
made  his  way  was  within  two  feet  of  the  wooden 
partition,  while  the  window  at  which  the  Confed- 
erate was  calling  from  was  an  equal  distance  from 
the  partition,  on  the  other  side.  The  two  win- 
dows, therefore,  were  but  four  feet  apart. 

As  has  been  mentioned,  it  was  twenty  feet  to 
the  ground,  a  distance  great  enough  to  cause 
serious  results  should  the  major  take  a  tumble. 
But  Deck  did  not  count  the  consequences.  He 
was  going  to  help  the  rebel  if  he  could. 

Crawling  forth,  he  turned  on  the  window-sill 
and  stood  upright.  The  framing  was  not  over  six 
inches  in  depth  and  was  plain,  affording  but  a 
scant  hold.  He  had  hardly  aj)peared  when  a 
shout  went  up  from  below.  "  There  is  the  major 
now!  " 


IN   THE   BURNING   COTTON   MILL  157 

"  Major,  look  out  there,  or  you'll  break  your 
neck!  " 

These  and  other  remarks  were  made,  but  Deck 
paid  no  attention  further  than  to  "look  out," 
whatever  that  might  mean.  In  reality  his  gaze 
was  fastened  on  the  window  next  to  him,  and  now 
he  leaned  over  and  caught  hold  of  the  edging. 
But  at  this  distance  the  hold  was  too  uncertain  to 
be  depended  upon,  and  he  drew  back. 

The  question  of  what  was  to  be  done  next  was 
a  serious  one.  The  wind  had  shifted  again,  giving 
a  temporary  check  to  the  fire  in  that  direction  ; 
but  it  would  shift  back,  and  then  Deck  felt  the 
end  of  the  mill  would  be  close  at  hand.  He 
looked  at  the  next  window  again. 
»  A  large  nail  caught  his  eye,  fastened  at  the  top 
of  the  frame.  He  felt  that  this  would  hold,  if 
only  he  could  reach  it.  He  took  o&.  his  sabre  belt 
and  examined  it. 

The  belt  was  strong  and  so  was  the  buckle,  and 
leaning  over  he  threw  one  end  of  the  belt  out,  not 
once,  but  several  times.  At  last  a  portion  of  the 
buckle  caught  over  the  nail.  He  pulled  on  the 
leather  to  make  sure  it  would  bear  his  weight, 
then  swung  to  the  sill  of  the  next  window  with 
ease. 


158  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION  i 

"Thank  Heaven!"  he  heard  the  Confederate 
ejaculate.  The  man  had  been  holding  himself  up 
as  far  as  possible,  but  had  now  dropped  flat  on  his 
back. 

Despite  the  smoke,  the  major  soon  took  in  the 
situation.  The  Confederate  had  stepped  upon  the 
lever  of  a  compressor;  the  jaw  of  the  machine  had 
opened,  and  his  leg  had  been  caught  and  held. 
Whether  the  limb  was  broken  or  not,  the  major 
could  not  tell;  but  it  was  certain  the  unfortunate 
one  was  suffering  intense  pain,  and  this,  added  to 
his  fright  because  of  the  fire,  made  him  truly  an 
object  of  compassion. 

"Can  you  —  you  —  release  me?"  he  groaned, 
and  he  seemed  to  be  on  the  point  of  faint- 
ing. 

For  reply  Deck  grasped  the  lever  and  at- 
tempted to  force  it  back.  It  was  stuck,  and  he 
had  to  exert  all  his  strength  to  move  it  even 
an  inch.  Seeing  an  iron  rod  handy,  he  used  it 
as  another  kind  of  lever,  and  with  a  click  the 
jaws  of  the  machine  opened,  and  the  Confederate 
was  free. 

"  What  shall  I  do  ? "  he  asked,  in  a  whisper. 
"I  — I  can't  walk." 


IN   THE   BURNING   COTTON   MILL  159 

"  I  will  carry  you,"  answered  Deck.  "  Wait 
just  a  second." 

He  bounded  along  the  wooden  partition  to 
where  the  door  was  situated.  The  air  was 
tremendously  hot,  and  the  wind  was  shifting 
back.  As  he  gained  the  door  there  was  a  dull 
booming,  as  a  portion  of  the  flooring  in  another 
department  of  the  mill  gave  way,  and  the  whole 
structure  began  to  shake. 

The  door  was  merely  latched  and  he  flung  it 
wide  open.  But  this  created  a  draught,  and  he 
closed  it  again  ;  then  ran  back  for  the  Confed- 
erate.    The  poor  fellow  had  fainted. 

The  load  was  a  heavy  one,  but  in  the  excite- 
ment Deck  could  have  carried  twice  the  weight. 
Flinging  his  burden  over  his  right  shoulder,  he 
staggered  through  the  smoke.  The  room  was 
now  ablaze  overhead,  and  the  sparks  fell  thickly 
upon  his  unprotected  head  and  neck. 

"  God  see  us  both  through  this  in  safety ! " 
was  the  silent  prayer  which  came  from  his 
heart,  and  now  the  door  was  reached  again.  In 
a  moment  more  he  stood  in  the  apartment  he 
had  first  entered.  A  look  of  consternation 
spread  over  his  pale,  set  face. 


160  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

The  fire  had  been  at  work  overhead,  running 
from  end  to  end  of  the  mill  roof.  Now  it  had 
worked  its  way  downward,  and  that  part  of  the 
ceiling  above  the  stairway  was  a  seething  and 
roaring  mass  of  flames  and  smoke.  It  looked 
as  if  at  any  instant  a  portion  of  the  roof  might 
cave  in,  burying  the  whole  stairway  beneath  it. 

Should  he  risk  a  descent?  Deck's  heart  almost 
stood  still  as  he  asked  himself  the  question.  He 
was  brave,  even  to  rashness  ;  but  this  was  very 
much  like  courting  death.  For  the  moment  he 
thought  of  home,  his  mother,  and  of  sweet  Kate 
Belthorpe.  Should  he  risk  being  torn  from  all 
that  was  dear  to  him  ? 

Another  booming  decided  him.  The  fire  had 
come  down  behind  him,  cutting  off  his  retreat. 
He  must  go  forward  or  give  up  the  struggle. 
With  another  silent  prayer  that  Heaven  might 
guide  and  protect  him,  he  grasped  his  burden 
closer  and  advanced  to  the  top  of  the  stairs. 
Soon  he  was  hurrying  downward  as  rapidly  as 
the  weight  on  his  shoulder  would  permit.  Five 
steps  were  passed  and  he  paused. 

A  blazing  board  had  come  down  directly  in 
front  of  him.     As  he  stood   still,  another   came 


IN   THE   BURNING   COTTON   MILL  161 

down,  striking  liim  on  the  unoccupied  shoulder. 
He  waited  no  longer,  but,  calculating  as  well  as 
he  could,  made  a  clean  leap  to  the  bottom. 

Luckily  he  landed  squarely,  and,  though  his 
burden  made  him  stagger,  he  did  not  fall.  As 
he  started  for  the  open  doorway,  there  was  a 
crash,  and  the  stairway  became  a  thing  of  the 
past.  The  young  major  had  missed  death  by 
less  than  five  seconds. 

How  he  gained  the  open  air.  Deck  could  not 
tell  afterward.  The  smoke  was  so  thick  he 
could  not  see,  and  breathing  was  out  of  the 
question.  "Out  there  —  help  me!"  he  yelled, 
when  he  saw  the  light,  and  then  Artie  and 
several  others  ran  to  his  aid.  Two  cavalrymen 
took  the  unconscious  Confederate  and  laid  him 
on  the  grass. 

"Deck,  are  you  hurt?"  asked  the  young 
captain,  anxiously,  seeing  how  pale  the  young 
officer  was.  The  major  could  not  stand  up- 
right. 

"  Hurt  ?  No  —  I'm  —  I'm  —  all  right,"  was  the 
answer ;  and  then  the  gallant  youth  fainted  dead 
away. 

With     the    wounded,    he    was    carried    on    a 


162  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION  ^ 

stretcher  to  the  nearest  ambuhince.  Artie  was 
permitted  to  go  along,  and  Captain  Abbey  took 
command  of  the  battalion.  The  Confederate 
was  placed  among  the  wounded  of  his  own 
company. 

Colonel  Lyon  was  not  near  the  mill,  and  it 
was  not  until  night  that  he  heard  Deck  was 
sick.  The  major  did  not  recover  consciousness 
for  an  hour,  and  then  it  was  found  he  had  a 
fever.  That  night  was  an  anxious  one  for  both 
the  colonel  and  the  young  captain,  and  the 
morning  brought  small  comfort.  Deck  was  out 
of  his  mind,  and  the  doctor  was  afraid  he  had 
inhaled  too  much  smoke,  and  possibly  some  of 
the  flames. 

"  The  boy  meant  well,  but  he  overdid  the 
matter,"  said  Colonel  Lyon,  sadly.  "I  warned 
him  over  and  over  again  to  be  more  careful ; 
but  he  was  too  anxious  to  make  a  record  for 
himself  to  listen  to  me.  If  anything  happens 
to  him,  what  will  his  motlier  and  the  others 
say?" 


CHAPTER   XIII 

AN   ADVANCE    ALL   ALONG   THE   LINE 

General  Bragg,  the  Confederate  commander, 
had  established  his  headquarters  at  Tullahoma, 
but  his  troops  lay  some  twenty  or  thirty  miles 
to  the  north  of  that  town,  in  a  grand  semicircle 
extending  from  Wartrace  on  the  east,  through 
Shelby ville  to  Columbia  on  the  west.  The  troops 
numbered  about  forty  thousand,  of  all  sorts,  ac- 
cording to  the  commander's  own  report,  and  a 
larger  portion  of  them  were  sheltered  behind 
hastily  constructed  intrenchments. 

Although  Bragg  occupied  this  advanced  posi- 
tion, General  Rosecrans  was  certain  that  should 
the  Confederate  be  unable  to  hold  Shelbyville  and 
the  surrounding  territory,  he  would  retreat  to  his 
stronger  intrenchments  at  Tullahoma.  This  town, 
situated  on  the  rocky  bank  of  Duck  River  and 
surrounded  by  mountainous  passes,  was  an  ideal 
stronghold.  Once  the  Southern  forces  should  re- 
treat to  it,  to  follow  them  would  be  extremely 
163 


164  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION  , 

hazardous,  for  the  Confederates  could  easily  com- 
mand the  river  and  every  defile,  and  pour  in  a 
hot  fire  without  permitting  the  Union  troops  to 
get  a  shot  in  return. 

Under  these  circumstances,  General  Rosecrans 
determined,  if  possible,  to  cut  off  the  Confeder- 
ate's chances  of  retreating  to  TuUahoma,  or, 
at  least,  of  retreating  by  the  direct  way.  To  do 
this,  he  determined  to  turn  the  enemy's  right,  and 
then  make  a  dash  for  the  railroad  bridge  at  Elk 
River.  Once  he  had  turned  the  enemy's  right  and 
gained  the  bridge,  Bragg,  if  he  retreated,  would 
have  to  go  to  TuUahoma  by  side  roads,  where  both 
armies  would  have  an  equal  chance  in  fighting,  so 
far  as  the  lay  of  the  land  was  concerned. 

In  all  military  operations,  one  of  the  main  ele- 
ments of  success  lies  in  the  fact  of  keeping  the 
other  fellow  guessing  what  you  are  going  to  do 
until  you  do  it ;  and,  in  order  to  blind  General 
Bragg  as  to  his  real  intention.  General  Rosecrans 
started  in  by  making  an  attack  on  the  Confed- 
erate centre,  as  though  he  intended  to  push 
through  at  that  point  if  he  could.  While  this 
was  going  on  he  hurried  his  main  divisions 
around  to  the  enemy's  right. 


AN   ADVANCE   ALL   ALONG   THE   LINE        165 

The  army  numbered  many  thousands  of  in- 
fantry, cavalry,  and  artillery ;  the  battle-ground 
extended  over  many  miles  of  territory :  and  to 
get  every  regiment  in  its  proper  place  was  no 
light  task.  Messages  flew  hither  and  thither, 
carried  by  telegraph  and  by  horseback  messen- 
gers, and  many  a  detail  was  completed  only  to 
be  totally  altered  at  the  last  moment.  And  while 
this  was  going  on,  a  close  watch  had  to  be  kept 
on  the  enemy,  for  fear  he  would  make  some  move- 
ment never  dreamed  of  by  our  troops. 

After  months  of  preparation  and  numerous 
small  conflicts,  the  army  began  to  move  on  the 
23d  of  June,  1863.  It  was  divided  into  three 
corps,  the  right  under  McCook,  the  centre  under 
Thomas,  and  the  left  under  Crittenden.  The 
weather  was  by  no  means  favorable ;  and  soon  it 
was  raining  in  torrents,  rendering  the  roads  a 
mass  of  liquid  mud,  and  swelling  even  the  smaller 
streams  to  such  an  extent  that  they  could  scarcely 
be  forded.  In  a  campaign  lasting  nine  days, 
General  Rosecrans  declares  that  their  advance 
was  delayed  ninety  hours  by  the  elements. 

After  their  work  along  the  railroad  in  the 
vicinity   of    McMinnville,    the    Riverlawns   were 


166  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION  , 

ordered  to  Triune,  where  they  went  into  camp 
just  outside  of  the  town,  on  the  bank  of  a  little 
creek  backed  up  by  a  hemp  field.  Their  hos- 
pital tent  was  located  in  the  midst  of  this  field, 
and  here,  on  a  cot,  lay  Deck,  suffering  in  a  man- 
ner that  was  new  to  the  doctors  caring  for  him. 
At  times  the  major  was  out  of  his  mind,  then 
he  would  be  rational,  but  so  weak  he  could 
scarcely  talk. 

"  It's  awful  —  simply  awful,"  said  Artie,  to 
his  Cousin  Sandy  one  day.  "  It's  the  worst 
case  I  ever  heard  of." 

"  It  is  too  bad,"  replied  the  second  lieutenant, 
of  Captain  Gadbury's  command.  "  I  wish  I 
could  do  something  for  him,  I  really  do." 

There  was  a  great  change  in  Sandy  Lyon. 
He  was  no  longer  the  wild  fellow  he  had  been. 
Army  discipline  had  made  a  man  of  him,  and 
he  was  a  first-class  soldier  in  every  sense  of  the 
word.  Only  one  thing  he  regretted,  that  being 
that  he  had  not  become  attached  to  the  Engi- 
neering Corps.  He  declared  that  as  soon  as 
the  war  was  over  he  was  going  to  study  liard 
and  become  an  architect  and  builder. 

The  change  in  Titus  Lyon  was  also  great.      He 


AN    ADVANCE    ALL    ALONG*  THE    LINE        167 

had  kept  the  pledge,  and  his  brother  Noah  coukl 
not  have  had  a  more  useful  adjutant.  The 
brothers  were  real  brothers  once  more,  much 
to  the  satisfaction  of  Titus's  wife  and  daughters, 
as  well  as  the  other  members  of  the  Lyon  fam- 
ily at  large. 

At  last  Colonel  Lyon  began  to  think  of  send- 
ing Deck  liome,  although  he  hated  the  thought 
of  having  the  youth  where  he  could  not  see 
him  constantly.  Moreover,  Mrs.  Lyon  had  not 
been  informed  of  how  much  Deck  was  suffer- 
ing, and  the  truth  might  give  her  a  shock. 

It  was  three  weeks  previous  to  the  movement 
of  the  army  upon  the  Confederate  forces  that 
the  major  began  to  mend.  At  first  the  change 
was  gradual,  but  inside  of  ten  days  he  was  up 
on  his  feet.  His  appetite  now  came  back,  and 
he  began  to  walk  around,  declaring  that  he 
would  soon  be  as  well  as  ever. 

"  Deck,  you  must  take  no  more  such  risks  — 
I  positively  forbid  it,"  said  Colonel  Lyon,  when 
calling  on  his  son  one  evening. 

"All  right,  father,  I'll  try  to  be  more  care- 
ful," answered  Deck,  with  a  faint  smile.  "To 
tell    the    truth,  I    didn't    realize   what    a    risk   it 


168  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

was  until  it  was  too  late  to  turn  back.  On 
that  account,  I  don't  think  I  am  half  the  hero 
the  boys  are  making  me  out  to  be." 

"  I  have  a  letter  for  you,"  continued  the 
colonel,  producing  the  communication.  "  It 
will  certainly  interest  you,  for  it  is  from  the 
Confederate  soldier  you  rescued  from  the 
mill." 

"  Is  that  so  ?     How  is  he  doing  ?  " 

"  He  is  doing  too  much  —  he  got  so  well  that 
he  ran  away  yesterday." 

"  Ran  away  !  " 

"  Exactly  ;  and  left  that  letter  behind.  Read 
it,"  and  Deck  did  so.  The  communication  ran 
as  follows  :  — 

"  Major  Dexter  Lyon  :  — 

"  My  Dear  Sir:  I  am  on  the  point  of  trying  to  make  my 
escape  froin  the  sick  camp  in  which  I  have  been  placed  by 
your  Union  hospital  surgeons.  It  is  a  rather  shabby  way 
to  act  after  such  kindness,  but  I  have  no  hankering  after  a 
life  in  a  Northern  prison  pen. 

"Before  I  leave,  and  knowing  well  I  shall  run  the  risk 
of  being  shot  down,  I  wish  to  thank  you  for  your  goodness 
in  rescuing  me  from  the  burning  cotton  mill.  You  did  more 
for  me  than  I  think  I  should  have  done  for  any  Northern 
man  —  you  risked  your  life  to  save  mine.  Major  Lyon,  I 
thank  you  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart,  and  if  it  ever  comes 


AN   ADVANCE   ALL   ALONG   THE   LINE        169 

in  my  power  to  do  you  a  good  turn  I  shall  do  it  —  no  matter 
what  it  may  cost  me.     I  thank  you  again. 
"Yours  respectfully, 

"Thomas  Derwiddie, 

"  Tennessee  Volunteers." 

"Did  they  follow  Thomas  Derwiddie  up?" 
asked  Deck,  as  he  folded  the  letter.  It  was 
written  on  a  scrap  of  very  old  and  dirty  news- 
paper, in  pencil. 

"  They  tried  to ;  but  they  could  not  catch 
him.  I  reckon  by  this  time  he  is  well  within 
the  Southern  lines." 

"  He  is  certainly  very  thankful,"  mused  the 
major.  "  Come  what  may,  it  would  seem  that 
I  have  one  friend  in  the  South  —  although  it  is 
likely  I  shall  never  see  or  hear  of  him  again." 

"  That  is  true.  Deck  ;  yet  it  must  make  you 
feel  glad  to  know  the  fellow  appreciates  your 
kindness." 

"  It  does,  father ;  I  shall  prize  the  letter 
very  highly,"  and  Deck  placed  it  in  an  inner 
pocket.  When  next  he  wrote  to  Kate  Bel- 
thorpe  he  enclosed  the  communication  with  his 
own,  and  Kate  thought  almost  as  much  of  one 
letter  as  of  the  other. 

The    first    cavalry    division,     under     General 


170  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION  ♦ 

Mitchell,  was  located  near  Triune,  and  this 
division  now  moved  forward,  on  the  Eagieville 
and  Shelbyville  turnpike,  in  the  direction  of 
the  enemy's  centre  and  left.  Less  than  half  an 
hour  after  came  the  order  for  the  Riverlawns 
to  move  in  a  similar  manner. 

"  Hurrah  !  we'll  soon  be  m  it  again !  "  cried 
Captain  Artie,  rushing  into  his  company  street 
with  the  news.  "  Get  to  moving,  boys ;  for 
there  is  no  time  to  lose.  We  are  going  to 
smash  the  rebs  this  trip." 

"Well,  I  hope  so,"  said  Black,  his  first  lieu- 
tenant. "  How  about  your  brother,  the 
major  ?  " 

"  Deck  is  going  along.  My  father  doesn't 
like  to  hear  of  it ;  but  the  major  says  he  is 
feeling  all  right  again.  I  reckon  he  will  take 
it  a  bit  easy,  though." 

There  was  little  time  to  say  more,  for  the 
call  to  move  made  plenty  of  work  for  every- 
body. Every  man  was  supplied  with  twelve 
days'  rations  of  bread,  coffee,  sugar,  and  salt, 
and  six  days'  rations  of  pork  and  bacon,  while 
other  meat  was  carried  "on  the  hoof,"  as  it 
\yas  expressed,  that   is,  alive,  the  animals   being 


AN    ADVANCE    ALL    ALONG    THE   LINE        171 

driven  along  in  droves,  or  tied  to  the  rear  of 
the  supply  wagons. 

"  I'm  glad  we're  going  to  move,  but  I'd  just 
as  lief  have  clear  weather  for  it,"  observed 
Life  Knox,  as  he  came  up,  shaking  the  water 
from  his  military  cape.  "  Captain  Lyon,  do  you 
feel  like  taking  a  dash  of  some  ten  or  twelve 
miles  on  horseback  with  me  ?  " 

"  A  dash  —  where  to  ?  "  queried  Artie,  stop- 
ping in  his  operations  of  strapping  his  belongings 
together. 

"  The  general  wants  to  learn  in  what  condition 
the  side  road  to  the  southeast  is  in,  and  he  has 
detailed  me  to  make  an  investigation.  I  can 
take  any  one  along  whom  I  please,  and  I  thought 
of  you  and  Deck ;  but  Deck  is  not  fit  to  go,  even 
though  I  have  seen  him  around  on  his  faithful 
old  Ceph." 

"  The  side  roads  are  probably  drowned  out," 
laughed  Artie.  "  But  I'll  go,  with  pleasure  — 
scouting  always  did  just  hit  me  right,"  and  with- 
out delay  he  turned  over  his  command  to  Lieu- 
tenant Black. 

Inside  of  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  the  two  cap- 
tains  were   off,    each    mounted   on   his   favorite 


172  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION  , 

horse,  each  fully  armed,  and  each  carrying  his 
rations  with  him.  The  rain  came  down  steadily, 
and  the  horses  sent  the  water  flying  in  all  direc- 
tions as  they  pushed  their  way  along  over  a  turn- 
pike covered  with  pools. 

"  Does  the  general  think  of  sending  troops  by 
that  side  road  ?  "  asked  Artie,  presently,  as  a  turn 
hid  them  from  their  late  companions,  who  had 
wondered  where  they  were  going. 

"Nothing  was  said  about  that,  and  I  didn't 
ask  any  questions,"  returned  Life.  "  My  private 
opinion  is,  he  wants  to  make  sure  the  road  can  be 
used  in  case  the  rebels  try  to  break  through  our 
corps." 

"  They  wouldn't  dare  to  do  that." 

"They  might  dare  anything,  Artie.  Bragg 
has  some  fine  soldiers  under  him  —  not  the  least 
doubt  of  that.  The  more  I  see  of  this  campaign, 
the  more  I  am  convinced  that  the  war  will  not 
end  until  there  has  been  an  immense  amount  of 
blood  shed.  We  began  in  a  haphazard  sort  of 
way,  but  we  are  speedily  getting  down  to  busi- 
ness." 

"  I  agree  with  you  there.  Life.  Of  course 
Bragg  will  drive  us  back  to  Kentucky,  if  he  can  ; 


AN   ADVANCE   ALL   ALONG   THE   LINE        173 

ill  fact,  he'll  drive  us  through  Indiana  into  the 
Lakes,  if  we  let  him.  But  we  are  not  going  to 
let  him,"  concluded  the  youthful  captain  of  the 
fourth  company. 

They  had  been  moving  along  a  level  road,  but 
now  a  second  turn  took  them  up  a  gentle  slope, 
from  the  top  of  which  a  bird's-eye  view  of  a 
small  stretch  of  country  could  be  obtained.  Be- 
hind them,  to  the  right  and  the  left,  many  com- 
panies of  soldiers,  afoot  and  on  horseback,  could 
be  seen  advancing  southward. 

"  There  is  the  road  we  are  to  investigate," 
said  Life,  pointing  with  his  long  forefinger.  "  By 
the  lay  of  the  land,  I  should  say  it  doesn't 
amount  to  anything.  The  infantry  and  cavalry 
may  get  through,  but  never  the  artillery." 

"  Well,  all  we  can  do  is  to  make  an  examination 
and  report,"  answered  Artie.  "  But  see  here, 
why  isn't  a  detail  of  the  Engineering  Corps  do- 
ing this  work  ?  " 

"Every  man  is  engaged  elsewhere.  Besides, 
we  are  to  look  for  rebels  while  we  are  at  it.  The 
general  is  inclined  to  believe  there  are  spies  in 
this  vicinity.  If  we  run  across  any  such  cattle,  we 
are  to  lasso  them  and  bring  them  in." 


174  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

After  this,  the  two  relapsed  into  silence,  for  the 
rain  was  driving  into  their  faces,  and  it  was  diffi- 
cult to  talk  while  muffled  up  in  their  storm  capes. 
They  descended  the  slope  on  the  other  side,  then 
turned  into  a  small  woods,  where  the  tall  trees 
afforded  some  shelter. 

Two  miles  had  been  covered,  and  the  horses 
were  making  good  time  on  a  rocky  roadbed, 
when,  looking  ahead,  they  saAv  a  split  in  the 
highway.  One  branch  ran  to  the  southward, 
the  second,  a  few  points  to  the  eastward. 

"  Which  is  which  ?  "  asked  Artie,  as  he  drew 
rein. 

"  That's  the  riddle.  One  road  looks  as  if  it 
was  travelled  about  as  much  as  the  second." 

"  And  neither  very  much,  Life." 

"  I  think  we  had  better  try  the  one  to  the  right." 

"  And  I  was  going  to  suggest  the  one  on  the 
left." 

"Well,  they  can't  both  be  right." 

"No,  only  one  is  right  —  the  other  is  left," 
laughed  the  young  captain. 

"And  you'll  be  left  to  take  the  left,"  said 
the  tall  Kentuckian.  "But,  seriously,  whicli 
had  we  better  follow  ?  " 


AN   ADVANCE   ALL   ALONG    THE   LINE        175 

"I  don't  know  —  unless  we  toss  up  for  it." 

"  There  may  be  sign-boards  about.  Let  us 
look." 

Thej^  made  a  careful  survey  of  all  the  trees 
and  posts  in  the  vicinity,  but  nothing  like  a 
guide-post  came  to  light.  If  there  had  been 
signs,  the  enemy  had  removed  them  long  before. 

"  I  have  a  suggestion  to  make,"  said  Artie,  as 
the  pair  came  together  in  the  road  again.  "Let 
us  each  take  to  a  road  and  ride,  say,  quarter  of 
a  mile.  Then  we  can  return  and  compare 
notes." 

"  That  would  certainly  be  better  than  halting 
in  the  rain,  Artie.  It's  settled,  and  I'm  off," 
and  using  his  spurs.  Life  Knox  dashed  away 
down  the  road  to  the  right.  A  few  seconds 
later,  Artie  took  the  road  to  the  left,  little 
dreaming  of  the  adventure  that  was  in  store 
for  him. 


CHAPTER   XIV 

ARTIE  IS   MADE  A  PRISONER 

Life  Knox  had  been  right ;  the  road  he  had 
taken  was  the  correct  one,  while  that  which 
Artie  was  pursuing  was  merely  a  side  trail,  join- 
ing the  main  road  again  about  a  half  mile  beyond. 
The  side  road  led  up  to  a  plantation  owned  by 
Colonel  Dick  Bradner,  one  of  the  most  zealous 
Confederates  in  the  State  of  Tennessee. 

Colonel  Bradner  was  a  military  man,  but  he 
was  not  now  in  active  service.  In  his  younger 
days  he  had  served  in  the  Mexican  War,  and  had 
gained,  under  General  Taylor,  a  commission  as 
first  lieutenant  in  the  volunteer  army  of  that 
date.  His  military  ardor  had  cost  him  his  right 
arm  and  his  left  leg,  and,  being  thus  crippled, 
further  service  was  out  of  the  question. 

Colonel  Bradner  had  always  been  a  fire  eater, 

hot  to  the  last  degree ;  and  if  he  had  had  his  way, 

war   between    the   North    and   the    South    would 

have  broken  out  in   '58  instead  of  '61.      For  a 

170 


ARTIE   IS   MADE    A   PRISONER  177 

time  he  had  drawn  a  pension  from  the  govern- 
ment at  Washington ;  but  this  was  now  cut  off, 
and  the  loss  made  the  military  gentleman  more 
bitter  than  ever,  if  such  a  thing  were  possible. 

The  plantation  on  the  side  road  was  one  of 
good  size.  In  days  gone  by  it  had  flourished, 
and  been  a  source  of  riches  to  the  colonel  and 
his  wife,  the  only  members  of  the  household. 
The  slaves  had  numbered  sixty-five,  all  able- 
bodied,  and  all  worth  five  hundred  dollars  each 
at  the  auction  block  in  Memphis.  Now  all  but 
six  of  the  slaves  had  run  away,  the  plantation 
was  neglected,  and  what  there  had  been  of  stores 
had  been  given  to  the  Confederate  forces,  simply 
from  the  fact  that,  had  they  not  been  given  up, 
friend  or  foe  would  have  confiscated  them  as  one 
of  the  necessities  of  the  great  conflict. 

Unaware  that  he  was  wrong,  and  likewise 
unaware  that  he  was  "  running  his  head  into  the 
lion's  mouth,"  Artie  galloped  down  the  side 
trail,  sending  a  shower  of  mud  up  against  the 
trees  as  he  passed  them  by.  Not  a  soul  was  in 
sight,  and  it  looked  as  if  the  neighborhood,  for 
miles  around,  was  deserted. 

Presently  he  reached  a  negro    hut  —  the  first 


178  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

belonging  to  the  Bradner  plantation.  The  door 
stood  wide  open,  the  rain  beating  far  in  over  the 
sill.  A  brief  survey  convinced  the  young  cap- 
tain that  the  abode  was  deserted. 

"  The  negroes  have  grown  scared,  and  run  for 
it,"  he  mused,  as  he  continued  on  his  way. 
"  Hullo,  there's  another  cabin,  and  another.  I've 
struck  some  village,  I  reckon  —  or  a  plantation. 
If  somebody  would  only  appear  —  ah  !  " 

Through  the  low-hanging  trees  he  had  caught 
sight  of  the  mansion,  standing  between  an  avenue 
of  pines.  To  the  front  was  a  path  of  sand,  and 
to  the  rear  a  small  brook.  The  fields  were  on 
the  other  side  of  the  brook, 

"  That  looks  as  deserted  as  were  those  cabins," 
thought  Artie,  when  he  saw  a  woman  pass  hastily 
by  one  of  the  parlor  windows.  Concluding  that 
the  men  were  off  to  the  war,  and  that  the  lady 
was  the  only  person  left  at  home,  he  turned  up 
the  sandy  path  and  rode  to  the  front  porch, 
where  he  dismounted,  and  used  the  heavy  brass 
knocker  attached  to  the  oaken  door. 

His  arrival  had  been  noticed,  yet  it  was 
several  minutes  before  anybody  answered  his 
summons.     In  the  meantime  he  heard  a  spirited 


ARTIE   IS   MADE    A    PRISONER  179 

murmur  of  voices,  as  though  two  persons  in  the 
hallway  were  discussing  the  situation. 

It  was  Mrs.  Dick  Bradner  who  let  him  in,  — 
a  short,  stout  woman  of  fifty,  with  piercing 
black  eyes  and  jet-black  hair.  Her  skin  was  as 
dark  as  that  of  a  mulatto,  and  her  features  were 
by  no  means  prepossessing. 

"Well?"  she  snapped,  as  she  threw  back  the 
door. 

"I  stopped  for  a  bit  of  information,"  replied 
Artie,  as  he  bowed  and  came  into  the  hallway, 
a  wide  affair,  running  directly  through  to  the 
rear. 

"What  is  it  you  wish  to  know?"  was  the 
short  query,  as  snappy  as  her  first  greeting  had 
been. 

"  I  am  a  bit  mixed  on  the  roads.  There  is  a 
split  about  an  eighth  of  a  mile  above  here,  and 
I  would  like  to  know  if  this  is  the  regular  road, 
or  if  the  other  road  is." 

"You're  a  Yankee  officer,  I  take  it." 

"I  am,  madam." 

"  What  company  do  you  belong  to  ? " 

"  I  am  captain  of  the  fourth  company  of  the 
Riverlawn  Cavalry,  of  Kentucky." 


180  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

"  The  Riverlawns ! "  came  in  something  like 
a  gasp.     "  Well,  I  never !     Dick  !  Dick  !  " 

"Well,  Martha,  what?"  growled  the  colonel, 
from  an  inner  room.  "Send  him  about  his 
business." 

"  He  belongs  to  the  Riverlawns,  Dick,  —  that 
cavalry  —  " 

"Hush,  Martha."  There  was  the  stumping  of 
a  wooden  leg,  and  Colonel  Bradner  appeared. 
"  So  you  belong  to  the  Riverlawns,  Captain  ? 
Come  in,  I  would  like  to  talk  to  you." 

"  I  haven't  much  time  to  talk,  sir,"  answered 
Artie.  "I  must  be  on  my  way.  If  you  will 
tell  me  about  the  roads  — " 

"  In  a  minute.  Captain,  in  a  minute.  But  I 
would  like  a  little  information  myself  —  about 
the  Riverlawns." 

"Yes,  we  want  to  know  all  about  them,"  put 
in  Mrs.   Bradner.     "My  brother  — " 

"  Martha,  do  let  me  do  the  talking,"  inter- 
rupted the  colonel,  with  a  significant  look  be- 
hind Artie's  back  which  the  captain  failed  to 
catch.  "  Walk  into  the  sitting  room,  where 
there  is  a  small  fire.  I  can't  go  without 
some  fire  on  a  damp   day,    even   in  June.     The 


ABTIE   IS   MADE   A   PUTSONER  181 

rheumatism  is  too  bad  in  my  poor  stumps. 
Come  in." 

The  colonel  led  the  way,  and  Artie  followed, 
although  the  delay  was  not  to  his  taste.  Yet 
he  was  curious  to  learn  what  his  host  wanted 
to  know  concerning  the  cavalry  his  father 
(so  called)  commanded.  Perhaps  the  lady's 
brother  belonged  to  one  of  the  companies,  de- 
spite the  fact  that  she  was  a  Tennesseean. 

The  sitting  room  was  a  cheerful  place,  and  the 
fire  felt  decidedly  comfortable,  and  Artie  wished 
he  was  not  in  a  hurry.  Colonel  Bradner  shoved 
a  cane  rocker  toward  him,  and  sank  down  on 
a  lounge.  Feeling  that  his  wet  clothing  would 
not  hurt  a  cane  rocker,  Artie  sat  down. 

"  By  the  way,  Martha,  tell  Joe  and  Sam  to 
come  in,"  said  the  colonel,  in  an  off-handed  way. 
"They  must  clean  up  that  cellar  before  the  rain 
ruins  everything.  Tell  them  to  clean  out  that 
back  pantry  the  first  thing." 

"But,  Dick  —  " 

"  Never  mind,  my  dear,  tell  them ;  "  and  the 
head  of  the  house  waved  his  wife  off,  winking 
at  her  when  Artie  was  not  looking.  The 
wink    satisfied    the    lady     more     than    did    her 


182  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

husband's  words,  and  she  moved  off  in  deep 
thought. 

"  So  you  belong  to  the  Riverlawns,  Captain. 
What  company,  if  I  may  ask  ?  " 

"  I  am  captain  of  the  fourth  company,  Mr. " 

"  Excuse  me,  I  should  have  introduced  myself 
and  my  vs^ife.  Colonel  Dick  Bradner,  at  your 
service." 

"  You  are  not  in  active  service.  Colonel,"  and 
Artie  smiled  faintly. 

"  Do  I  look  as  if  I  was  ?  But  I  have  seen 
service,  young  man,  having  gone  all  through  the 
Mexican  War." 

"  Indeed!  I  am  glad  to  meet  you,  sir.  But  about 
the  Riverlawns  and  Mrs.  Bradner's  brother  —  " 

"  I'll  get  there  in  a  moment.  Captain.  You 
see  I  am  getting  old  and  long-winded.  I  used 
to  stump  the  State  during  election  time,  but 
I'm  getting  so  tiresome  now  nobody  will  listen 
to  me." 

"  I  am  listening.  Colonel.  But  I  have  a  duty 
to  perform  which  must  be  accomplished  as  soon 
as  possible." 

"  I  reckon  I  need  not  ask  what  it  is.  It's 
none  of  my  business,  of  course  not." 


ARTIE    IS    MADE    A    PRISONER  183 

"  What  were  you  going  to  ask  me  concerning 
our  regiment  ? "  asked  Artie,  half  desperately, 
for  he  was  afraid  the  crippled  colonel  would 
keep  him  there  all  day. 

"  I  wanted  to  ask  you  if  your  command  did 
not  take  part  in  an  engagement  at  Greeger 
Lake,  last  fall?" 

"We  did." 

"  What  was  the  result  of   that  engagement  ?  " 

"  We  took  about  five  hundred  guerillas  pris- 
oners, and  —  " 

"  Guerillas  !  Do  you  dare  to  call  our  troops  — 
Oh  !  pshaw,  go  on,  —  what  did  you  do  ?  " 

"  We  took  about  five  hundred  guerillas  pris- 
oners, and  to  keep  them  from  eating  up  our  ra- 
tions, marched  them  back  into  Tennessee,  where 
they  belonged." 

"And  confiscated  their  horses  and  their 
money?" 

"  No,  we  turned  their  horses  loose ;  that  was 
all.  I  never  heard  anything  about  any  money," 
answered  Artie,  promptly. 

He  tried  to  appear  at  ease,  but  he  was  much 
worried.  The  veteran  of  the  Mexican  War  was 
turning    out   to    be    a    strong    Southern    sympa- 


184  AN  UNDIVIDED   UNION 

thizer.  It  looked  as  if  there  might  be  trouble 
before  he  left  the  house. 

"  I  understand  some  of  the  soldiers  had  their 
money  taken  from  them.  But  that  was  to  be 
expected  of  the  Yankees  —  they  don't  know 
what  honor  is." 

"  Colonel  Bradner,  I  did  not  come  here  to  be 
insulted  !  "  exclaimed  Artie,  leaping  to  his  feet. 
"  I  have  answered  your  questions,  now  I  would 
like  you  to  answer  mine.  What  about  this  road 
in  front  of  your  house  ?  Is  it  the  main  road, 
or  is  it  not  ?  " 

"It  is  the  main  road  —  to  my  plantation." 

"  Then  the  other  road  is  the  main  road  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"That  is  all  I  wish  to  know,  and  I'll  bid 
you  good  afternoon,"  replied  the  young  cap- 
tain, and  backed  toward  the    hallway  door. 

"  You're  not  going  just  yet,  are  you  ?  "  asked 
Colonel  Bradner,  with  a  quizzical  tone  in  his 
voice. 

"  I  am,"  said  Artie,  and  not  liking  that  tone, 
he  swung  around,  to  find  himself  confronted  by 
Mrs.  Bradner  and  two  burly  negroes,  each  of 
the  latter  with  a  gun  in  his  hands. 


ARTIE   IS   MADE   A   PRISONER  185 

"Up  with  your  hands,  Captain,  or  Joe  and 
Sam  will  blow  off  your  head,"  commanded  the 
cripple,  and  drew  at  the  same  time  a  pistol 
from  his  hip  pocket.  The  pistol  was  pointed 
at  Artie's  breast,  while  each  of  the  guns  was 
aimed  at  the  side  of  his  head. 

Artie  was  brave,  and  in  some  instances  as 
rash  as  Deck ;  but  there  were  times  when  he 
kept  his  head  cool,  and  this  was  one  of  these 
times.  He  had  both  pistol  and  sabre  in  his 
belt,  but  he  knew  that  the  slightest  movement 
to  use  either  of  the  weapons  would  mean  to 
him  either  serious  injury  or  death.  And  he  was 
just  then  of  a  mind  to  keep  his  skin  whole. 

"  Do  you  surrender  ?  "  demanded  Colonel  Brad- 
ner,  after  a  painful  pause,  during  which  Artie 
had  been  doing  a  powerful  lot  of  thinking. 

"  I  don't  see  what  else  I  can  do,"  was  the 
cool  reply,  and  as  he  spoke,  Artie  raised  his 
hands.  But  he  also  walked  to  the  window,  — 
to  find  it  locked,  and  another  negro  standing 
guard  outside. 

"  There  is  where  you  show  your  sense.  Captain. 
Joe,  advance  and  receive  the  captain's  sabre  and 
his  pistol." 


186  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

"  You  spoke  about  what  was  done  with  the 
guerillas  at  Greeger  Lake.  Are  you  going  to 
rob  me  of  my  weapons  ?  " 

"  No,  you  shall  have  them  back,  —  when  the 
proper  time  comes.  If  I  let  you  keep  them,  you 
might  attempt  to  commit  suicide  when  left  alone." 

"  Which  means  that  you  are  going  to  make  a 
prisoner  of  me  ?  " 

"  Which  means  exactly  that,  Captain.  I  trust 
you  enjoy  the  prospect." 

"  I  think  it  is  a  foolish  movement  on  your 
part.  Do  you  not  know  that  this  country  is 
overrun  with  Union  troops,  some  of  which  are 
bound  to  come  to  this  place  sooner  or  later?" 

"  Let  them  come ;  we  do  not  care,"  burst  out 
Mrs.  Bradner.  "  My  poor  brother's  loss  shall 
be  avenged  !  "  she  added  tragically. 

"  Did  your  brother  belong  to  those  guerillas  ?  " 
questioned  Artie,  a  light  breaking  in  on  his  mind. 

"  He  was  at  the  head  of  the  command  which 
participated  in  the  unfortunate  engagement  at 
Greeger  Lake,"  responded  the  woman,  tartly. 
"  He  would  have  won  had  he  not  been  out- 
numbered, four  to  one." 

"Was  your  brother  Major  Gossley?"  con- 
tinued Artie. 


ARTIE   IS   MADE   A   PRISONER  187 

"  He  was  and  is.  His  command  is  now  with 
General  Bragg  —  and  will  soon  help  to  wipe 
out  this  horde  of  villanous  mudsills,  who  have 
entered  our  State,"  resumed  the  lady  of  the. 
house,  grandiloquently.  "  Do  you  remember  my 
brother  in  person  ?  " 

"  I  remember  him  very  well.  There  was  a 
miller  at  Greeger  Lake  named  Price.  He  had 
hidden  away  his  money,  and  your  brother  made 
him  give  it  up  by  threatening  to  hang  him. 
The  man  was  dragged  to  a  tree  and  a  rope 
placed  about  his  neck.  When  the  Riverlawns 
captured  the  command,  your  brother  was  com- 
pelled to  give  Price  back  his  money." 

At  these  plain  words,  the  lady  of  the  house 
grew  furious.  "  It  is  a  falsehood  —  a  base, 
malicious,  Yankee  falsehood  !  "  she  screamed. 
"  Dick,  why  don't  you  bind  him  and  give  him 
—  a  —  a  —  the  lash  ?  " 

.  "  I'll  bind  him  fast  enough,"  answered  the  colo- 
nel. "  After  that,  we'll  see  what  is  best  to  be 
done.     Joe,  is  there  a  rope  handy  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Mars'r,"  answered  the  foremost  of  the 
negroes. 

"  Take   it   and   bind   the   prisoner's  hands  be- 


188  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION  , 

hind  him.  Sam,  keep  him  well  covered,  and  I 
will  do  the  same.  Between  two  fires,  he  will 
keep  quiet  enough,  I'll  warrant." 

Without  delay,  the  negro  Joe  procured  the 
rope  and  walked  up  behind  Artie.  Resistance 
just  then  would  have  been  foolish,  and  Artie's 
weapons  were  soon  taken  from  him,  after  which 
he  was  made  a  close  prisoner.  The  rope  had 
scarcely  been  adjusted,  when  there  came  a  loud 
knocking  on  the  front  door  of  the  house. 


CHAPTER   XV 

GOSSLEY   THE   GUERILLA 

"Who  can  that  be?"  asked  the  lady  of  the 
mansion,  nervously,  as  the  knock  was   repeated, 

"  I  will  go  and  see,"  answered  Colonel  Brad- 
ner.  He  turned  to  the  two  negroes.  "  See  that 
he  doesn't  get  away  from  you." 

"  He  shan't  git  de  chance,  Mars'r,"  answered 
Joe,  who  had  picked  up  his  gun  again. 

Arising  from  his  couch,  where  he  had  retained 
his  seat  while  covering  the  young  captain,  the 
crippled  advocate  of  the  Southern  cause  stumped 
to  the  door,  walked  out  of  the  room,  and  closed 
the  barrier  behind  him.  His  wife  accompanied 
him. 

Artie  strained  his  ears  to  catch  what  might  be 
oaid.  A  hope  had  entered  his  mind  that  the  new- 
comer might  be  Life  Knox,  who  had  grown  im- 
patient of  waiting  at  the  forks  of  the  road  and 
come  in  this  direction  to  find  him.  He  felt  cer- 
tain that  if  it  was  the  tall  Kentuckian,  there 
189 


190  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

would  presently  be  exceedingly  "  warm "  times 
about  the  place. 

But  he  was  doomed  to  disappointment.  The 
voice  was  that  of  a  man,  loud,  rough,  and  savage, 
and  the  front  door  was  closed  with  a  bang.  Then 
a  long  talk  followed  in  the  hallway,  and  the  new- 
comer pushed  his  way  into  the  sitting  room. 

"  So  we  meet  again,"  was  the  salutation  Artie 
received,  with  a  dark  frown  from  a  pair  of  wolf- 
like  eyes.  "  Reckon  you  didn't  expect  to  see  me 
quite  so   soon,  and   under   such    circumstances." 

"  You  are  right,  —  I  never  expected  to  see  you 
again.  Major  Gossley,"  replied  Artie,  for  the  new- 
comer was  the  noted  leader  of  the  guerillas  en- 
countered at  Greeger  Lake. 

"  How  does  it  make  you  feel  ?  " 

"I  haven't  had  time  enough  to  consider  that 
side  of  the  question,"  Artie  returned,  trying  to 
keep  as  calm  as  possible,  although  he  realized 
that  the  coming  of  the  guerilla  leader  was  a  bad 
thing  for  him. 

"  Reckon  you  will  realize  it  before  I  have  done 
with  you,"  muttered  Gossley.  "  Martha,  has  he 
been  telling  you  anything  about  me  ?  "  he  added, 
turning  to  his  sister. 


So  We  meet  again,"  was  the  Salutation  Artie 

RECEIVED. 

Page  190. 


GOSSLEY   THE   GUERILLA  191 

"A  string  of  falsehoods,  Dan,  —  a  string  of  false- 
hoods !  Said  you  actually  robbed  a  miller,  —  was 
going  to  hang  him  because  he  wouldn't  give  up 
his  money,"  ejaculated  Mrs.  Bradner,  excitedly. 
"  I  wanted  Dick  to  give  him  the  lash  ;  the  base 
Yankee  deserves  it." 

"  He  deserves  a  rope  —  as  they  all  do,"  said 
Gossley.  "  It  was  a  fine  thing  to  steal  our  bosses 
and  sell  'em,  wasn't  it  ? " 

"Your  horses  were  not  stolen,  as  I  told  that 
lady." 

"  They  were  —  and  my  money  was  taken,  too. 
The  Riverlawns  are  a  pack  of  thieves,  —  worse 
than  any  band  of  raiders  that  ever  came  out  of 
Tennessee,"  stormed  the  irate  leader  of  the  ill- 
fated  expedition  to  Greeger  Lake. 

"  How  much  money  did  you  have?  "  questioned 
Artie,  calmly,  hoping  to  draw  the  guerilla  out. 

"I  had  nearly  two  thousand  dollars,  all  told." 

"In  Confederate  money?" 

"  Partly;  and  partly  in  United  States  scrip 
and  gold." 

"Where  did  you  get  so  much  money?" 

The  major  of  the  guerillas  scowled.  As  read- 
ers of  the  volume  before  this  know,  Gossley  had 


192  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION  ^ 

obtained  the  money  by  selling  a  large  quantity 
of  grain,  pork,  liams,  and  bacon  taken  in  the 
guerilla  raids.  The  chief  had  kept  the  money 
on  his  person,  expecting  to  divide  with  his  men 
later.  About  the  time  the  horses  of  the  raiders 
were  driven  off,  the  money  disappeared,  stolen 
by  some  of  the  guerillas,  but  Gossley  was  firmly 
convinced  that  the  base  Yankees  had  relieved 
him  of  the  amount. 

"It's  none  of  your  business  where  I  got  the 
money,"  stormed  the  man.  "I  had  it,  and  that's 
enough.  Your  regiment  stole  it,  —  and  I'm  going 
to  get  square." 

"  That's  right,  Dan  ;  don't  give  him  an  inch," 
broke  in  Mrs.  Bradner. 

"  I  never  saw  your  money  or  heard  of  it," 
added  Artie,  quietly. 

"  Of  course  he  wouldn't  acknowledge  it,"  said 
Colonel  Bradner,  who  had  sunk  down  on  the 
couch  again. 

"  I've  a  good  mind  to  put  a  bullet  through 
you  where  you  stand,"  went  on  the  guerilla 
leader.  "  But  I  won't  do  it  ;  I'll  try  another 
game.  If  I  am  not  mistaken,  you  are  Captain 
Lyon." 


GOSSLEY    THE    GUERILLA  193 

"  I  am." 

"  You  have  a  brother  who  is  a  major  in  the 
Riverlawn  regiment." 

"  Right  again." 

"  And  your  father  is  the  colonel  of  the  com- 
mand." 

"  I  call  him  my  father.  He  is  in  reality  my 
uncle." 

"  It's  the  same  thing  —  so  far  as  I  am  con- 
cerned." 

"•  I  don't  see  how  that  concerns  you  at  all." 

"  Don't  you?  I  am  bound  to  have  that  money 
back." 

"We  haven't  got  it." 

"  Never  mind,  a  colonel  of  a  regiment  is  re- 
sponsible for  the  actions  of  his  men  ;   eh,  Dick?" 

"To  be  sure — undoubtedl}^"  answered  Colonel 
Bradner,  and  he  winked  his  eye  suggestively. 

"  AVhich  means  that  you  are  going  to  try  to 
get  your  money  from  Colonel  Lyon  ?  "  said  Artie, 
indignantly. 

"  Whicli  means  that  or  something  like  it.  I 
don't  care  if  the  colonel  pays  it,  or  the  major, 
so  long  as  I  get  it  back  in  gold.  I  won't  take 
any  more  United  States  shinplasters.      In  a  few 


194  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

months  more  they  won't  be  worth  the  paper  they 
are  printed  on." 

"  That's  as  true  as  you're  born,"  put  in  Colonel 
Bradner. 

"  What  about  Confederate  scrip  ?  " 

"It  will  be  as  good  as  gold  — in  a  short  time. 
But  we  are  talking  too  much,  and  I  came  here 
on  another  errand."  The  guerilla  turned  to  his 
brother-in-law.  "  You  can  keep  him  locked  up 
for  about  forty-eight  hours,  can't  you  ?  " 

"  I  had  planned  to  lock  him  up  before  you 
came,"  answered  the  crippled  veteran.  "  There 
is  a  pantr}"-  in  the  cellar  which  will  make  a 
capital  cell." 

"  All  right.  Joe,  lead  the  way,  and  you  will 
follow  him,  Lyon.  I  will  come  after,"  said  the 
guerilla  chief.     "  March  !  " 

"  Supposing  I  refuse  to  be  locked  up,"  ven- 
tured Artie. 

"  I  will  put  a  bullet  through  your  head  without 
hesitation." 

"  You  are  a  generous  enemy,  to  say  the  least," 
was  the  young  captain's  comment  ;  and  without 
further  words  he  moved  off. 

The  colored  man  led  the  way  through  the  hall- 


GOSSLEY   THE   GUERILLA  195 

way  to  the  rear,  where  there  was  an  enclosed 
stairway  to  the  cellar.  The  latter  place  was 
gloomy,  and  the  air  far  from  wholesome.  Soon 
the  three  stood  before  the  pantry  which  had  been 
mentioned.  It  was  a  square  affair,  built  of 
heavy  planking  and  with  an  equally  heavy  door. 
There  was  a  bolt  on  the  door,  and  likewise  a 
padlock. 

"  Now,  Captain,  you  will  step  inside,"  said  the 
guerilla,  grimly.  "  And  let  me  utter  a  word  of 
caution.  One  of  the  negroes  shall  stand  guard, 
and  at  the  first  attempt  to  escape  he  shall  fire  on 
you." 

Artie  entered  the  pantry,  and  the  door  was  im- 
mediately closed,  locked,  and  bolted.  A  moment 
later  Gossley  walked  away  and  returned  upstairs. 
What  the  negro  Joe  did,  Artie  did  not  know. 

The  cellar  had  been  damp  and  unwholesome, 
;the  pantry  was  more  so,  and  the  first  breath  of 
air  he  took  into  his  lungs  made  Artie  shudder. 
Was  it  possible  he  would  be  kept  in  such  a  place 
as  this  for  forty-eight  hours,  and  in  his  wet  cloth- 
ing ? 

"  I  must  get  out,  —  if  such  a  thing  is  possible," 
he  said  to  himself.     "But  I  must  be  careful  what 


196  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

I  do,  or  the  guard  will  shoot  at  me.  Those 
negroes  fear  their  master,  and  they  are  bound  to 
obey  orders." 

Waiting  for  a  while,  to  make  certain  he  was 
really  alone,  Artie  brought  forth  a  match  and  lit 
it.  The  tiny  blaze  revealed  to  him  a  long  splinter 
of  pitch-pine  board,  and  this  he  ignited  into  a  tiny 
torch,  not  daring  to  let  it  burn  too  freely  for  fear 
of  being  smothered  by  the  smoke. 

As  has  been  said,  the  pantry  was  built  of 
heavy  planking.  It  was  five  feet  from  front  to 
back  and  side  to  side,  and  in  the  rear  were  several 
shelves,  now  swept  of  their  contents.  Behind  the 
shelving  were  several  small  boards,  put  up  as  if 
they  covered  a  cellar  window.  Overhead  were 
the  beams  and  boards  of  the  parlor  floor  of  the 
mansion,  and  beneath  was  a  cement  bottom  as 
hard  as  stone. 

The  under  shelf  in  the  closet  was  quite  low,, 
and  removing  the  shelves  above  it,  Artie  used  it 
as  a  seat,  and  gave  himself  up  to  his  reflections. 
It  must  be  confessed  that  he  felt  decidedly  blue. 
He  was  caged  like  a  rat  in  a  trap,  and  what  his 
captors  intended  to  do  next  with  him  there  was 
no  telling. 


GOSSLEY   THE   GUEKILLA  197 

"  I  wonder  if  they  will  send  to  father  for 
money  ?  "  he  asked  himself.  "  Gossley  intimated 
as  mnch.  This  is  a  new  way  of  handling  a  pris- 
oner in  this  country.  Gossley  ought  to  be  an 
Italian  brigand.  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  he  sends 
a  note  to  the  colonel,  threatening,  if  the  money 
is  not  forthcoming,  to  shoot  me.  And  he  will 
shoot  me,  too  —  there  is  no  doubt  of  that.  The 
man  has  no  more  heart  than  a  grindstone  —  he 
showed  that  when  he  attempted  to  hang  Price, 
the  miller." 

Artie  was  not  one  to  sit  down  and  kick  his 
heels  in  dejection.  To  him,  '  while  there  was 
life  there  was  hope,'  and  having  examined  the 
sides  and  front  of  his  prison,  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  the  rear.  A  little  work  loosened  one  of 
the  small  boards  previously  mentioned.  He  was 
about  to  tear  the  board  away,  when  he  heard 
footsteps  in  the  cellar  ;  and  he  shoved  the  board 
back  into  place. 

It  was  Martha  Bradner  who  had  come  down, 
accompanied  by  the  negro  Joe.  Evidently  the 
woman  wanted  nothing  more  than  to  render  the 
young  Unionist  uncomfortable. 

"  Hope  you  like  the  cell  ?  "  she  began. 


198  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

"Thank  you,  Madam." 

"  What  is  that  strange  smell  ?  Have  you  been 
burning  something  ?  " 

"  Nothing  of  any  consequence,"  returned  Artie. 
He  had  put  out  the  pitch-pine  torch  and  hid  it 
behind  him. 

"  My  brother  is  going  to  get  square  for  the 
terrible  manner  in  which  your  regiment  treated 
him,"  went  on  the  lady  of  the  house,  maliciously. 

"  He  is  holding  me  for  a  hostage,  is  that  it  ?  " 

"  You  will  find  out  fast  enough,  young  man." 

"  Is  he  going  to  make  his  demands  at  once  ?  " 

"No.  He  has  important  work  for  General 
BrasfR'  that  must  first  be  attended  to,"  answered 
the  lady,  who  had  not  yet  learned  the  value  of 
silence  upon  certain  occasions. 

"  Then  he  is  a  messenger  for  the  general,  eh  ? 
That  is  quite  a  high  position  to  occupy." 

"No  higher  than  Daniel  deserves,"  was  the 
airy  reply.  "  My  brother  is  a  great  soldier,  were 
his  real  ability  recognized." 

"  No  doubt  he  is  a  big  man,  —  if  General  Bragg 
trusts  him  to  do  his  scouting  for  him.  It's  hard 
work  to  play  the  part  of  a  spy  in  a  Union  camp,  I 
can  tell  you  that." 


GOSSLEY    THE    GUERILLA  199 

"  Daniel  is  fully  equal  to  the  task,"  said  the 
lady. 

She  seemed  totally  ignorant  of  the  fact  that 
Artie  was  "  drawing  her  out,"  and  that  she  was 
letting  her  tongue  run  altogether  too  fast.  Her 
brother  had  told  her  something  of  his  mission, 
and  she  wanted  this  Northern  mudsill  to  know 
what  an  important  man  that  brother  really  was. 

"  Perhaps  your  brother  won't  get  back  into 
the  Confederate  lines  to  tell  all  that  he  has 
learned,"  continued  Artie. 

"  He'll  be  back  to-morrow  morning.  He  has 
a  first-class  horse,  and  the  Union  password,  and 
he  —  " 

■  "  Martha  !  What  are  you  doing  down  there  ?  " 
came  in  the  voice  of  Colonel  Dick  Bradner,  as  he 
appeared  at  the  head  of  the  cellar  stairs.  "  I 
thought  you  promised  Dan  to  leave  the  prisoner 
alone  for  the  present." 

"  I  am  not  hurting  him  —  nor  is  he  hurting 
me,"  called  back  Mrs.  Bradner. 

"  I  wouldn't  talk  too  much  to  him  —  at  least, 
not  about  our  affairs  or  Dan's." 

"  Colonel,  I  am  able  to  manage  for  myself," 
was  the  icy  response  to  this  suggestion.     "If  it 


200  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION  ' 

had  not  been  for  me  we  would  not  have  captured 
this  —  this  good-for-nothing  Yankee." 

"  Perhaps  that  is  true,  my  dear.  But  be  sure 
and  tell  him  nothing  about  Dan." 

"  Oh,  dear,  I  can  never  do  anything  without 
your  interference  !  "  burst  out  the  lady,  petu- 
lantly. "Joe,  lock  him  in  again;"  and  she 
flounced  out  of  the  cellar,  past  the  colonel,  who 
tried  in  vain  to  detain  her,  and  up  to  her  own 
room.  The  negro  did  as  ordered,  and  Artie  was 
left  once  more  to  himself. 

What  the  captain  had  learned  filled  him  with 
interest.  Gossley  was  not  only  going  to  hold 
him  for  the  money  that  might  'be  gotten  out  of 
such  a  proceeding,  but  he  was  going  to  hold 
him  until  a  secret  mission  for  General  Bragg 
could  be  executed.  The  guerilla  chief  was  now 
a  spy  within  the  Union  lines. 

"  If  only  Life  knew  that,  and  knew  I  was 
here,"  he  half  groaned.  "  I  must  get  away 
from  here  —  not  only  for  my  own  sake,  but  in 
order  to  make  Gossley  a  prisoner  and  thus  j^re- 
vent  him  from  carrying  any  news  of  importance 
to  the  Confederates.     How  can  I  get  away  ?  " 

Over  and  over  again  Artie  asked  himself  that 


GOSSLEY   THE   GUERILLA  201 

question.  In  the  meantime  he  began  work  on 
the  board  again,  this  time  without  a  light. 
After  several  minutes  of  twisting  and  pulling 
the  board  came  off,  revealing  several  panes  of 
glass,  set  in  a  window  frame.  But  beyond  the 
glass  was  a  mass  of  dirt,  showing  that  the 
cellar  opening  had  been  completely  closed  up 
from  the  outside. 

For  the  instant  the  captain  was  dismayed ; 
then  his  natural  buoyancy  of  spirit  returned. 
"  I  can  dig  that  dirt  away,  sooner  or  later,"  he 
muttered,  and  set  to  work  removing   the   glass. 

A  job  of  this  sort  looks  easy,  on  paper ;  in 
reality  Artie  found  the  task  quite  hard,  and  it 
took  the  best  part  of  an  hour  to  remove  the 
panes  without  making  a  noise.  The  glass  out 
of  the  way,  he  drew  his  pocket-knife  and  began 
to  dig  at  the  dirt,  which  came  away  easily,  fall- 
ing in  clods  into  his  hand.  The  clods  he 
placed  on  the  cement  flooring  directly  under  the 
opening. 

The  ground  had  been  banked  up  for  nearly 
three  feet,  so  it  took  some  time  to  reach  day- 
light. But  at  last  the  blade  of  the  knife  cut 
into   the   roots   of    the   sodding,    and    Artie    felt 


202  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

that  liberty  was  only  a  question  of  a  few  minutes 
more.  He  worked  away  diligently,  and  soon 
had  a  hole  as  big  as  his  hand.  Through  this 
he  peered  anxiously.  Was  there  a  guard  out- 
side, ready  to  frustrate  his  design  ? 


CHAPTER   XVI 

THE  HOLDING-UP   OF   THE   CLOSED   CARKIAGE 

Artie  found  it  still  raining  outside,  harder 
than  before,  and  the  landscape  was  dreary 
and  deserted,  —  neither  man  nor  beast  being  in 
sight. 

"That  remark  about  putting  the  negroes 
on  guard  was  only  meant  to  frighten  me,"  he 
thought.  "  Now  to  get  out  and  find  my  horse, 
and  I'll  make  it  warm  for  Major  Dan  Gossley 
and  his  hot-headed  relatives.  I'll  show  them 
that  they  cannot  make  a  Union  officer  a  prisoner 
with  impunity." 

The  young  captain  recommenced  his  digging, 
and  presently  the  hole  was  sufficiently  large  to 
admit  the  passage  of  his  body,  for  Artie  was 
of  slender  build,  and  advancement  in  the  army 
had  not  puffed  him  up  with  pride.  Undaunted 
by  the  rain,  which  covered  the  passageway  with 
mud,  he  crawled  forth,  on  to  the  mansion  lawn. 
203 


204  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

A  hasty  look  around  convinced  him  that  his 
egress  had  not  been  discovered. 

He  was  on  a  side  lawn,  and  to  get  to  the 
gateway  of  the  road,  must  pass  to  the  front  of 
the  house.  But  wishing  to  remain  unnoticed,  he 
did  not  take  the  direct  course,  but  backed  away 
with  all  speed  for  the  nearest  grove  of  trees. 
Once  these  were  reached,  he  made  a  long  detour, 
coming  out  near  the  spot  where  he  had  left  his 
animal  tied  to  a  tree. 

The  horse  was  gone,  and  as  the  equine  was 
one  not  in  the  habit  of  either  breaking  or  stray- 
ing away,  he  rightfully  concluded  that  Colonel 
Dick  Bradner  had  had  him  taken  to  the  planta- 
tion stables,  directly  after  the  surrender  in  the 
sitting  room. 

"I've  got  to  have  the  horse,  that  is  all  there 
is  to  it,"  he  muttered.  "  I  wonder  if  I  can't 
get  him  without  arousing  the  whole  house- 
hold ?  " 

It  must  be  remembered  that  Artie  was  un- 
armed, and  he  knew  that  if  discovered,  it  would 
go  hard  with  him.  But  he  was  full  of  grit,  and 
after  a  moment's  consideration,  started  on  an- 
other detour,  this  time  in  the  direction  of  the 


HOLDING-UP   OF   THE   CLOSED   CARRIAGE      205 

quarters  for  horses,  visible   through  a  grove   of 
walnut  trees. 

The  larger  of  the  barns  reached,  Artie  found 
the  doors  wide  open,  for  the  day  was  now  fairly 
warm  despite  the  rain,  and  he  slipped  inside. 
As  he  did  so,  a  negro  voice  broke  on  his  ear  :  — 

"  De  Yankees  da  hab  got  ter  run, 
Da  cannot  fight  no  mo', 
We'll  knock  'em  wid  de  sword  an'  gun, 
An'  da'U  surrender  suah  !  " 

It  was  the  negro  Sam  who  was  doing  the 
singing,  while  cleaning  up  Artie's  horse,  that 
had  been  tied  up  in  a  large  box  stall.  The 
colored  man  was  taking  his  time  at  the  job, 
thinking  he  had  the  whole  day  before  him. 

Ere  Artie  caught  sight  of  either  Sam  or  the 
horse,  he  espied  something  else  which  made  his 
heart  bound  with  satisfaction.  On  a  feed-box 
lay  the  gun  Sam  had  handled  while  on  guard  in 
the  sitting  room.  It  was  double-barrelled  and 
loaded  ready  for  use. 

Making  certain  that  the  negro  was  the  only 
person  about  the  stables,  the  captain  advanced 
cautiously  and  secured  the  firearm.     He  had  it 


206  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

well  in  hand,  when  Sam  swung  around  and  dis- 
covered him. 

"Who  —  wha — what  —  "  began  the  slave,  star- 
ing at  him  as  though  he  were  a  ghost. 

"  Silence  !  "  whispered  Artie,  and  pointed  the 
gun  at  the  negro's  head. 

"  Please  don't  go  fo'  to  shoot  me,  Cap'n  !  " 

"  I  won't,  if  you  will  remain  quiet  and  answer 
my  questions  truthfully.  If  you  attempt  to  cry 
out  —  " 

"I  won't  cry  out — 'deed  I  won't!"  was  the 
trembling  answer. 

"All  right.  Now  tell  me  the  truth.  Where  is 
Major  Gossley  ?  " 

"  Went  out,  sah,  'bout  quarter  of  an  hour  ago." 

"  On  horseback  ?  " 

"Yes,  sah." 

"  Do  you  know  where  he  went  ?  " 

"  I  ain't  suah,  sah,  but  t'ink  he  went  to  Rover." 

"  Did  he   say  anything  about   coming  back  ? " 

"  He  dun  tole  missus  he  would  be  back  in  about 
two  houhs." 

"  You  are  telling  me  the  truth  ?  Remember,  if 
you  lie  to  me  it  may  cost  you  your  life." 

"  I'se  tole  yo'    de  truf,   Cap'n  —  deed   I   has," 


HOLDING-UP   OF  THE  CLOSED   CARRIAGE       207 

answered  Sam,  earnestly.  He  was  still  so  scared 
he  could  scarcely  speak. 

"  I  will  soon  find  out.  I  am  glad  to  see  you 
have  rubbed  down  my  horse.  Now  saddle  him  as 
quick  as  you  can." 

"Yes,  sah." 

The  negro  sprang  to  work,  and  as  he  moved 
around  Artie  continued  to  keep  him  covered  with 
the  gun.  In  a  few  minutes  the  horse  was  ready 
for  use,  and  then  the  young  captain  made  the 
slave  bring  out  one  of  Colonel  Dick  Bradner's 
animals  likewise.  Both  were  taken  to  a  rear 
doorway,  out  of  sight  of  the  mansion. 

"  Now  get  up  there  and  come  along  with  me," 
said  Artie,  as  he  hopped  into  the  saddle.  "  And 
no  treachery." 

"  Whar  yo'  gwine  ter  take  me,  Cap'n  ? " 

"  To  the  Union  camp,  so  that  you  can't  give 
your  master  the  alarm.  Do  what  I  want  you  to 
do,  and  you  will  suffer  no  harm.  In  the  sitting 
room  you  were  only  obeying  your  master's  orders, 
so  I  shan't  blame  you  for  that." 

At  these  words  Sam  was  evidently  much  re- 
lieved, and  he  consented  to  show  the  way  by  a 
back  path  to  the  side  road.     With  the  negro  in 


208  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

front  of  him,  Artie  put  spurs  to  his  steed,  and 
soon  gained  the  fork  where  he  had  separated  from 
Life  Knox.  He  found  the  captain  of  the  seventh 
company  taking  it  easy  under  the  thick  shelter  of 
a  clump  of  trees  and  some  brush. 

"Well,  Captain,  you've  been  a  long  time  getting 
back,"  he  remarked,  as  he  gazed  questioning  at 
Artie  with  the  gun  and  then  at  the  negro.  "  Had 
some  adventure,  I  reckon  ?  " 

"  That's  it.  Life,  and  there  is  no  time  to  waste 
in  giving  particulars.  I  wonder  how  near  the 
nearest  troops  are  ?  " 

"  A  company  of  mounted  infantry  passed  this 
place  less  than  five  minutes  ago." 

"  Can  we  overtake  them,  do  you  think  ?  " 

"  I  don't  see  why  not.  They  weren't  moving 
fast.  They  had  struck  the  wrong  road,  and 
thought  some  of  going  back." 

"We  must  bring  them  back.  Come  on!  "  and 
away  went  the  captain,  with  Sam  beside  him  and 
Life  Knox  just  in  advance.  As  they  progressed, 
Artie  told  his  tale,  to  which  the  tall  Kentuckian 
listened  closely. 

"  You  are  right,"  he  said,  when  Artie  had  con- 
cluded.    "  We  must  capture  this  Gossley  by    all 


HOLDING-UP   OF   THE   CLOSED    CARKIAGE      209 

means;  and  it  will  be  as  well  to  put  a  guard  over 
the  mansion  and  place  Colonel  Bradner  and  his 
wild-cat  of  a  wife  under  military  arrest.  There 
is  no  telling  how  much  harm  that  couple  has  been 
doing  the  Union  cause," 

Through  the  rain  they  soon  discerned  the  com- 
pany of  mounted  infantry  returning,  having 
found  the  mud  and  quicksands  too  much  for  the 
horses.  They  were  a  body  of  Michigan  men, 
under  the  command  of  Captain  Allen  Fordick. 

"  I  am  under  no  special  orders,  having  finished 
my  mission  to  this  neighborhood,"  said  the  cap- 
tain, when  they  had  told  him  why  he  was  wanted. 
"  I'll  take  hold  with  pleasure.  That  spy  ought  to 
be  captured,  if  such  a  thing  is  possible.  I  thought 
the  rebels  had  given  up  the  spy  business  since 
Williams  and  Peter  were  hung." 

The  captain  of  the  mounted  infantry  referred 
to  a  case  which  early  in  the  month  had  challenged 
the  attention  of  the  entire  North  and  South. 
Two  young  men  presented  themselves  at  the 
headquarters  of  Colonel  Baird  and  represented 
themselves  as  inspectors  from  Washington,  sent 
on  to  inspect  the  outposts.  They  showed  proper 
papers  supposed  to  be  signed  by  Adjutant  Gen- 


210  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

eral  Thomas  and  by  General,  afterwards  Presi- 
dent, Garfield,  then  chief  of  Rosecrans's  staff,  and 
were  allowed  to  begin  their  work.  But  soon  a 
suspicion  was  excited,  and  the  pair  were  captured 
just  as  they  were  about  to  pass  out  of  the  Union 
lines.  They  were  searched,  and  the  sword  of  one 
was  found  to  be  marked  C.  S.  A. — Confederate 
States  of  America.  General  Rosecrans  was  tele- 
graphed to  and  denounced  them  as  pretenders. 
A  drum-head  court-martial  was  ordered  at  quar- 
ter to  five  in  the  morning,  and  the  two  Confeder- 
ates broke  down  and  confessed.  They  begged  for 
clemency,  but  orders  had  been  to  hang  them  if 
they  were  found  guilty,  and  at  half  past  ten  in 
the  morning  they  were  executed  in  the  presence 
of  a  large  body  of  troops.  This  act  was  de- 
nounced in  the  South,  but,  terrible  as  it  was,  it 
was  in  strict  accord  Avith  the  rules  of  war. 

From  the  negro,  the  three  captains,  riding 
abreast,  in  advance  of  the  mounted  infantry, 
learned  in  what  direction  lay  the  road  Major 
Gossley  would  most  likely  use  in  returning  from 
Rover.  It  was  little  more  than  a  foot-path,  run- 
ning through  the  plantation  fields  and  coming  up 
over  a  foot-bridge  to  the  creek  in  the  rear. 


HOLDING-UP   OF   THE   CLOSED   CARRIAGE      211 

"  I  would  advise  hiding  in  the  woods  close  to 
the  house,"  said  Artie,  when  consulted.  A  dozen 
men  can  surround  the  house,  to  prevent  the 
colonel  and  his  wife  from  taking  French  leave." 

"  But  they  may  have  taken  leave  already,"  sug- 
gested Life,  and  as  he  spoke  he  saw  a  covered 
carriage  approaching.  "Perhaps  they  are  in 
this." 

"They  must  be!  "  cried  Artie,  as  the  carriage 
came  to  a  sudden  halt,  and  the  negro  spoke  to 
somebody  inside.  "  Sam,  isn't  that  Joe  on  the 
box?" 

"Yes,  Cap'n." 

"  Then  it  is  Colonel  Bradner's  rig,  sure,"  went 
on  the  young  officer.  "  Forward,  and  we'll  soon 
have  them  prisoners !  "  and  away  he  dashed  in 
the  lead.  By  the  time  he  had  come  alongside  of 
the  turnout  the  negro  coachman  had  turned  about 
and  was  lashing  the  team  furiously,  in  an  attempt 
to  escape  in  the  opposite  direction. 

"  Stop  that  team,  or  I  will  fire !  "  ordered 
Artie,  and  aimed  the  gun  he  still  carried. 

At  these  words  a  scream  came  from  the  car- 
riage, and  then  from  under  a  black  canvas  cover 
was  thrust  the  face  of  Mrs.  Bradner. 


212  AN  UNDIVIDED    UNION 

"  Don't  you  dare  stop  us,  you  miserable 
Yankee  !  "  she  screamed.     "  I  won't  have  it !  " 

"  Don't  make  a  fool  of  yourself,  Martha,"  came 
from  the  colonel,  in  a  lower  tone. 

"  Stop,  I  say,"  went  on  Artie,  and  placed  the 
muzzle  of  the  gun  within  two  feet  of  the  negro 
driver's  head.  Without  delay  Joe  drew  up,  and 
the  carriage  came  to  a  stop. 

"Go  ahead!  Don't  stop!"  screamed  Mrs. 
Bradner,  more  unreasonable  than  ever. 

"  Madam,  you  had  best  keep  quiet,"  said  Cap- 
tain Fordick.  "  We  know  what  you  and  your 
husband  have  been  doing  to  Captain  Lyon,  and 
you  can  both  consider  yourselves  under  military 
arrest." 

"  Under  arrest !  "  gasped  the  lady.  "  How 
dare  you  speak  to  me  in  this  insulting  fashion!  " 

"  I  dare  by  the  authority  of  the  United  States. 
You  will  please  keep  quiet  while  the  negro  drives 
you  back  to  the  house." 

"I  won't  keep  quiet!     I'll  —  " 

"  Oh,  Martha,  shut  up !  "  broke  in  the  colonel. 
"  You'll  only  make  matters  worse." 

"  What,  Dick  Bradner,  do  you  turn  against 
me  ?  "  was  the  indignant  query.     "  Have  you  no 


HOLDING-UP   OF   THE   CLOSED   CARRIAGE      213 

backbone  left  to  stand  up  against  these  —  these 
vile  Northern  mudsills  ?  " 

"If  you  don't  keep  quiet  I'll  have  you  bound 
and  gagged,  Madam,"  said  Captain  Fordick,  after 
whispering  to  Artie. 

"You  won't  do  —  " 

"  Yes,  I  will.  Cameron  and  Waltling,  advance 
and  bind  this  woman.  If  she  says  another  word, 
gag  her." 

For  one  moment  the  lady  of  the  plantation 
glared  at  the  speaker.  Then  her  courage  gave 
way,  and  she  sank  back  and  burst  into  tears. 

"Oh,  please  —  please  don't  touch  me!"  she 
moaned.  "  I'll  —  I'll  keep  quiet  —  I  didn't  mean 
anything  by  what  I  said." 

"Very  well  then  —  see  you  remain  silent." 
The  captain  of  the  mounted  infantry  turned  to 
the  negro  driver.  "Turn  back  to  where  you 
came  from,  and  Iqse  no  time  in  driving." 

"Yes,  Mars'r  Ossifer!  "  replied  Joe,  promptly, 
and  there  was  a  grin  on  his  ebony  face,  as  though 
he  rather  enjoyed  the  discomfiture  of  his  mistress. 

With  roads  so  bad,  it  was  hard  work  to  get  the 
closed  carriage  back  to  the  mansion,  and  once  it 
looked  as  if  the  turnout  would  have  to  be  aban- 


214  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION  » 

doned  in  the  mud.  But  the  trip  was  finally  con- 
cluded, and  the  colonel  and  his  downcast  spouse 
were  marched  into  the  sitting  room. 

"Now,  Colonel  Eradner,  the  boot  is  on  the 
other  leg,"  remarked  Artie,  and  it  must  be  cout 
fessed  the  young  captain  could  not  help  smiling. 
"  How  do  you  like  the  situation  ?  " 

"  I  don't  like  it,"  grumbled  the  crippled  advo- 
cate of  the  Southern  cause.  "But  I  have  sense 
enough  not  to  kick  ;  "  with  a  significant  glance  at 
his  wife. 

"  Dick  Bradner,  if  we  ever  — "  began  Mrs. 
Bradner,  when  a  look  from  Captain  Fordick  si- 
lenced her.  All  three  of  the  Union  captains  now 
questioned  Bradner  concerning  Gossley's  return. 

"  He  won't  be  back  —  he  has  gone  to  join 
Bragg,"  said  the  colonel,  before  his  wife  could 
speak. 

"He  will  be  back — to  punish  "you  all,"  burst 
out  Mrs.  Bradner,  and  then  covered  her  face  with 
her  hands,  as  she  realized  the  mistake  she  had 
made.    "  Oli,  what  have  I  done  now  ?  "  she  wailed. 

"  Made  a  fool  of  yourself  again,"  answered  the 
colonel,  bluntly.  "That  speech  may  cost  Dan 
his  life." 


HOLDIXG-UP    OF    THE    CLOSED    CARRIAGE       215 

"  Oh,  I  didn't  mean  it ;  "  and  she  burst  into 
tears.  Leaving  her  husband  to  comfort  her  as  he 
saw  fit,  the  Unionists  left  the  couple  in  the  sit- 
ting room.  Several  weapons  they  had  possessed 
had  been  taken  from  them,  and  now  a  guard  was 
stationed  in  the  hallway  outside  of  the  door,  and 
another  guard  in  the  garden  under  the  sitting- 
room  windows.  This  done,  the  three  captains 
prepared  to  capture  Major  Dan  Gossley  as  soon 
as  he  should  make  his  appearance. 


CHAPTER   XVII 

THE    CAPTURE   OF   THE   CONFEDERATE   SPY 

As  previously  agreed  upon,  the  mounted  infan- 
try had  secreted  themselves  about  the  mansion 
and  along  the  foot-path  leading  across  the  brook 
bridge  in  the  rear.  The  latter  point  was  well 
wooded,  and  it  was  an  easy  matter  for  the  thirty 
or  forty  men  stationed  at  that  point  to  keep 
out  of  sight.  It  still  rained  incessantly,  and 
the  riders  were  glad  enough  to  keep  under  the 
densest  trees  they  could  find. 

Artie  and  Life  took  positions  at  the  head  of 
the  company  across  the  bridge,  leaving  Captain 
Fordick  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  foot-path 
with  half  of  the  soldiers.  In  these  positions 
nearly  an  hour  went  by  without  anything  un- 
usual turning  up. 

Artie  had  been  worrying  about  what  the 
general  would  say  if  Life  and  he  did  not  report 
at  headquarters,  but  the  tall  Kentuckian  as- 
sured him  that    matters    had    been    arranged    by 

216 


THE   CAPTURE   OF   THE   CONFEDERATE    SPY     217 

having  one  of  the  mounted  infantrymen  take 
a  written  report.  "  Others  have  already  tried 
to  get  through,  and  found  the  road  impassable," 
he  added.  "  So  the  news  won't  be  new  even 
when  it  does  come." 

Presently  from  a  distance  came  the  splashing 
of  a  horse's  hoofs  through  the  pools  of  water 
formed  in  the  path,  and  Artie  held  up  his  hand 
significantly.  "  Wait  until  we  make  sure  it  is 
not  the  wrong  person,"  he  whispered. 

A  few  seconds  passed,  and  a  man  rode  up. 
He  was  dressed  in  the  suit  of  a  Union  soldier, 
and  was  not  Gossley.  He  headed  directly  for 
the  mansion,  but  soon  turned  and  rode  for  the 
barn. 

"  What  can  this  mean  ? "  asked  Life,  but 
Artie  shook  his  head  in  perplexity.  Then  came 
the  sound  of  another  horse's  hoofs,  and  Major 
Gossley  rode  into  view.  He,  too,  started  for 
the  mansion,  but  the  other  arrival  hailed  liiiii 
from  the  barn  ;   and  both  "entered  that  structure. 

"  Now  I  reckon  we'll  hear  something  worth 
listening  to,"  said  Life  Knox.  "  Come  on, 
Artie."  He  turned  to  an  infantryman  standing 
by.     ""Send  your  captain  after  us  without  delay." 


218  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION  » 

There  was,  however,  no  need  to  send  for  Cap- 
tain Fordick,  for  he  was  already  coming  to 
join  them.  Borrowing  a  pistol  to  take  the 
place  of  the  gun,  Artie  led  the  way,  and  the 
other  two  came  after.  Soon  they  were  by 
the  side  of  the  barn,  and  in  a  position  to  over- 
hear all  that  was  being  said  by  those  inside. 

"  It's  queer  I  missed  you.  Rose,"  Gossley  was 
saying.      "I  don't  understand  it." 

"  I  had  to  be  careful  not  to  excite  suspicion, 
Gossley,  and  it  was  some  time  before  I  could 
get  away.  But  I've  got  the  information  for 
you,  and  if  you  want  to  do  General  Bragg 
any  good  you  had  best  make  off  with  it  with- 
out delay." 

"  Well,  what  is  the  information  ?  " 

"  Here  it  is,  —  on  a  map  I  prepared  last  night. 
Here  is  the  territory  with  the  names  of  the 
troops  stationed  at  different  points.  The  attack 
on  the  centre  and  left  is  only  a  ruse,  and  the 
main  attack  will  be  on  Bragg's  right,  which 
the  Union  army  will  try  to  turn.  Once  the 
turn  is  made,  Rosecrans  intends  to  push  on 
with  all  speed  until  Tullahoma  is  reached." 

"  He'll  never  get  there,"  muttered  Major  Goss- 


THE   CAPTURE   OF   THE   CONFEDERATE   SPY     219 

ley.  "  We'll  fight  them  on  the  right  for  all 
they  are  worth,  and  beat  them  back ;  see  if  we 
don't.  Lieutenant,  have  a  drink,"  and  he  pulled 
a  whiskey-flask  from  his  pocket.  Both  men 
drank  a  large  portion  of  the  fiery  liquor,  and 
the  Confederate  spy  returned  the  flask  .  to  his 
pocket.  The  map  was  stowed  away,  inside  of 
the  major's  boot. 

"The  leather  is  split  in  two,"  he  explained 
to  his  companion.  "Even  if  the  boot  was  pulled 
off  they  wouldn't  discover  the  map." 

"You  are  better  prepared  than  Major  Andre," 
laughed  his  companion.  "Well,  I  must  be  get- 
ting back.  Good-by,  and  good  luck  to  you. 
Major  Gossley." 

"  The  same  to  you,  Lieutenant  Blevlich ;  and 
you  can  rest  assured  General  Bragg  won't  for- 
get your  service." 

The  two  shook  hands  and  prepared  to  leave 
the  barn.  But  Captain  Fordick  had  sent  out 
a  signal,  and  a  score  of  infantrymen  on  their 
horses  surrounded  the  building. 

"  Surrender  ! "  was  the  command  of  the 
mounted  infantry's  captain.  "  Surrender,  or  we 
will  fire  upon  you  !  " 


220  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION  , 

"  Trapped  !  "  yelled  Gossley,  in  consternation, 
and  his  bronzed  face  grew  pale.  His  companion 
for  the  moment  said  nothing. 

"  Do  you  surrender,  or  not  ?  "  demanded  Cap- 
tain For  dick. 

"Who  are  you?" 

"  I  am  Captain  Fordick,  commanding  the  For- 
dick  Michigan  mounted  infantry,  unattached," 
was  the  reply.  "  But  you  haven't  answered 
my  question  yet." 

"  I  won't  surrender,  to  be  hung  for  what 
I've  done,"  burst  out  the  traitorous  lieutenant, 
and  cutting  his  horse,  he  urged  him  out  of  the 
barn.  "  Back,  if  you  value  your  life  !  "  and  he 
thrust  his  pistol  into  Captain  Artie  Lyon's  face; 

The  young  captain  was  about  to  fire  on  the 
fellow,  when  Life  Knox's  weapon  rang  out, 
and  the  lieutenant  pitched  forward  in  his 
saddle  and  fell  down  at  his  liorse's  side. 
Frightened,  the  steed  took  to  his  heels,  running 
directly  for  the  brook.  The  lieutenant's  foot 
had  caught  fast  in  the  stirrup  and  he  was 
dragged  along,  his  head  striking  the  ground 
;it  every  step.  In  a  twinkle,  horse  and  man 
iiad  disappeared  into  the  water  together. 


THE   CAPTURE   OF   THE   CONFEDERATE   SPY     221 

In  the  meantime  Gossley  had  fired,  and  an 
infantryman  riding  behind  Captain  Fordick  was 
struck  in  the  hip.  The  Confederate  spy  fired 
half  a  dozen  shots,  and  then  leaped  from  his 
horse's  back  into  the  hay-mow  above.  As  he 
disap1)eared  from  view  he  yelled  that  he  would 
kill  anybody  who  attempted  to  capture  him. 

"  Better  get  back,"  said  Life.  "  There  is 
no  use  in  running  a  useless  risk.  We'll  make 
him  come  down  from  his  perch  as  fast  as  Davy 
Crockett  brought  the  'possum  from  the  tree." 

The  advice  was  good,  and  captains  and  men 
scattered  to  points  where  the  Confederate  could 
not  get  a  chance  at  him. 

"  Now,  if  you'll  let  me  take  the  lead  I'll  bring 
him  down  in  short  order,"  said  the  captain  of 
the  seventh  company  of  the  Riverlawns. 

"All  right,  do  as  you  please,"  answered  the 
Michigan  captain,  and  Artie  nodded  in  approval. 

Advancing  on  foot  to  a  tree  directly  behind 
the  barn.  Life  called  out  to  Gossley, — 

"  Are  you  coming  down,  Gossley  ?  " 

"Not  much." 

"  You  had  better  give  yourself  up.  We  are 
about  fifty  to  one,  you  know." 


222  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

"  I  won't  give  myself  up.  You'll  hang  me  as 
you  hung  Williams  and  Peter.  I'm  going  to  die 
game." 

"  Wouldn't  you  rather  be  hung  than  burnt 
alive  ?  "  went  on  Life,  coolly. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  that  ?  " 

"  I  mean  that  if  you  won't  come  down  and 
surrender,  we'll  burn  you  out." 

"You  can't  do  it.     The  place  is  too  wet." 

"  Well,  we'll  smoke  you  out  then,  and  shoot 
you  as  soon  as  you  appear.  If  you  want  to  be- 
come an  ordinary  prisoner,  now  is  your  chance. 
I  won't  do  any  talking  with  you  after  we  have 
applied  the  torch." 

At  this  Gossley  began  to  say  some  very  un- 
complimentary things  concerning  the  Unionists 
in  general  and  those  outside  in  particular.  But 
the  tall  Kentuckian  cut  him  short. 

"  I'll  give  you  exactly  two  minutes  in  which 
to  make  up  your  mind,"  he  went  on. 

"  Go  to  thunder  !  "  growled  Gossley. 

"I'll  go  and  light  that  torch,"  answered  Life, 
and  retreated. 

At  the  end  of  exactly  one  minute  and  a  half 
Gossley  called  to  him. 


THE   CAPTURE   OF   THE   CONFEDERATE   SPY     223 

"  Say  there  !  " 

""  Have  you  made  up  your  mind  to  come 
down  ? " 

"  If  I  give  myself  up,  what  will  you  do  with 
me  ?  " 

"  Turn  you  over  to  the  commander  at  head- 
quarters." 

"  As  an  ordinary  prisoner  of  war  ?  " 

"No,  as  a  rebel  spy." 

"  Then  I  won't  come  down,"  howled  Gossley, 
and  continued  to  say  uncomplimentary  things. 

But  when  Life  really  advanced  with  a  lighted 
torch,  his  courage  failed  him,  and  just  as  some 
loose  hay  was  lighted,  he  called  out  that  he  would 
give  in  and  threw  down  his  pistols.  In  another 
moment  he  came  down  himself  and  submitted  to 
having  his  hands  bound  behind  him.  Then  Artie 
took  possession  of  the  map  placed  in  the  bootleg. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  that  ?  " 

"  Turn  it  over  to  General  Mitchell,  who  will 
probably  take  the  case  to  General  Rosecrans." 

"  You  can't  prove  anything  against  me,"  blus- 
tered the  Confederate. 

"  Never  mind,  we  can  try  pretty  hard,."  said 
Life  Knox,  dryly. 


224  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

"  Have  you  done  anything  up  to  the  house  ? " 

"  You  will  learn  in  time,  I  reckon,"  concluded 
Life,  and  hurried  off  toward  the  brook. 

Here  it  was  ascertained  that  the  traitorous 
lieutenant  had  paid  for  his  treachery  with  his 
life.  The  horse  had  dragged  him  over  the 
rough  stony  bottom  of  the  brook  until  the 
man's  head  was  fairly  crushed  in  by  hoofs  and 
stones.  The  negroes  Joe  and  Sam  were  set  to 
work  digging  a  grave  close  to  the  brook,  and 
the  remains  were  soon  after  buried  in  this,  — 
where  they  still  lie,  unnamed,  and  well-nigh 
forgotten. 

It  was  now  getting  late,  and  all  felt  they 
must  be  on  the  way.  Yet  every  man  was  hun- 
gry, and  it  was  decided  that  a  meal  should  first 
be  had  at  Colonel's  Bradner's  expense.  The 
negro  cook,  who  had  been  hiding  about  the 
kitchen,  was  brought  to  light,  and  made  to 
promise  to  get  ready  the  best  spread  the  plan- 
tation could  provide,  and  it  must  be  acknowl- 
edged that  she  kept  her  word. 

As  Captain  Fordick  was  not  willing  to  escort 
a  woman  prisoner  back  to  camp,  a  detail  was 
left   at   the   mansion,    taking    both    the   lady    of 


THE    CAPTUKE    OF    THE    CONFEDERATE    SPY      225 

the  house  and  her  husband  into  custody. 
Every  weapon  about  the  place  was  confiscated, 
and  the  colored  people  were  placed  under  strict 
surveillance,  that  they  might  not  help  master 
and  mistress  in  secret. 

Mrs.  Bradner  wept  bitterly  when  told  that 
her  brother  was  captured  and  would  be  taken 
to  the  Union  headquarters  as  a  spy.  On  her 
knees  she  begged  Artie,  Life,  and  Captain  For- 
dick  in  turn  to  let  Gossley  go.  But  this  was, 
of  course,  out  of  the  question.  Now  that  mat- 
ters had  turned  out  so  favorably  for  him,  Artie 
could  not  help  but  feel  sorry  for  the  lady,  who 
had  allowed  her  mistaken  patriotism  to  lead  her 
so  far  astray,  yet  he  could  do  nothing  for  her,  and 
left  the  place  as  soon  as  the  dinner  was  finished. 

Two  hours  of  hard  riding  brought  the  infan- 
try and  their  prisoner  to  general  headquarters, 
and  here  Gossley  was  turned  over  to  the  proper 
authorities,  who  sent  him  to  a  western  prison, 
there  to  remain  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
The  head  of  the  staff,  although  busy  with 
numerous  other  reports,  listened  with  close 
attention  to  Artie's  tale,  and  placed  the  map 
taken  from  the  spy  on  file. 


226  .       AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION  ^ 

"  It  was  a  good  bit  of  work,  Captain  Lyon," 
he  said.  "  And  it  is  likely  to  be  remembered 
to  your  credit." 

"It  was  only  my  duty,  sir,"  answered  Artie. 
"Any  Union  soldier  would  have  done  as  much." 

"Possibly.  But  let  me  say,  it  is  a  big  thing 
to  catch  a  spy,"  and  then  Artie  was  dismissed 
to  join  his  company,  along  with  Life  Knox. 
The  unattached  infantrymen  were  ordered  to 
remain  in  the  vicinity  of  Colonel  Bradner's 
plantation,  which  was  afterwards  transformed 
into  a  temporary  hospital. 

By  this  time  the  cavalry,  of  which  the  River- 
lawns  formed  a  portion,  had  passed  through 
Eagleville,  to  do  some  sharp  skirmishing  at 
Rover.  Here  the  Confederates  attempted  to 
make  a  stand,  but  the  forces  under  General 
Mitchell  were  too  powerful  for  them,  and  they 
broke  and  filed  down  the  road  leading  to 
Unionville  and  Shelbyville.  At  the  same  time 
another  cavalry  force  made  a  demonstration  on 
the  extreme  left,  and  some  infantry  began  to 
operate  about  Woodbury.  Thus  was  Bragg 
completely  blinded  to  what  the  true  intention 
of   the    Union    commander   was,    and   sent   force 


THE    CAPTURE    OF    THE    CONFEDERATE    SPY      227 

after  force  to  his  left  when  he  should  have 
hurried  them  in  exactly  the  opposite  direction. 

When  Artie  reached  his  command,  to  relieve 
Lieutenant  Black,  he  found  Deck  in  his  old 
place  at  the  head  of  the  battalion.  The  major 
was  pale  and  nervous,  and  probably  weaker  than 
he  cared  to  show,  yet  he  insisted  on  remaining 
where  he  was,  against  the  advice  of  his  father 
and  both  Majors  Truman  and  Belthorpe. 

"  We're  bound  to  drive  the  Confederates  as 
far  as  Unionville  before  nightfall,"  he  said, 
enthusiastically.  "  The  battalion  has  been  doing 
splendidly,  and  Black  couldn't  have  done  better." 

The  colonel  was  also  glad  to  see  Artie  back, 
and  astonished  at  the  tale  the  young  man  had 
to  tell.  But  the  talk  between  the  two  was  cut 
short  by  an  order  from  General  Mitchell. 
They  had  been  halting  just  outside  of  Rover. 
Now  they  were  commanded  to  proceed  to  a  side 
road  and  cut  off  any  Confederates  who  were  try- 
ing to  escape  to  Unionville  from  that  direction. 

In  two  minutes  the  cavalry  was  off  on  a  gal- 
lop, feeling  that  some  hot  work  was  in  store 
for  them.  And  that  feeling  did  not  prove  a 
disappointment. 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

THE  EVACUATION    OF   TULLAHOMA 

On  the  afternoon  of  this  23d  day  of  June, 
General  Granger  had  left  Triune,  with  his  forces, 
and  after  but  little  fighting  had  driven  the  Con- 
federates back  to  Christiana,  a  small  village  on 
the  road  from  Murfreesboro  to  Shelbyville.  At 
the  same  time  the  cavalry  under  General  Mitchell 
—  commonly  called  Stanley's  cavalry,  although 
the  major-general  was  absent  —  moved  along  as 
already  told,  having  with  them  tlie  Riverlawns. 
The  two  commands  met  at  the  village  mentioned, 
and  after  a  brief  conference  it  was  decided  that 
both  should  proceed  onward  in  an  endeavor  to 
drive  the  enemy  from  Guy's  Gap  back  into  the 
rifle-pits  at  Shelbyville. 

Going  into  the  Gap  after  the  Confederates  was 
no  easy  task.  The  way  was  rough  in  some  spots, 
and  knee-deep  with  mud  in  others,  and  the  forces 
went  forward  in  the  lightest  marching  order 
possible.  it  was  out  of  the  question  to  use 
228 


THE    EVACUATION    OF    TULLAHOMA  229 

one  road  alone,  as  each  regiment  that  passed 
over  it  rendered  it  all  the  more  torn  up  and 
difficult  of  travel,  and  troops  were  consequently 
sent  on  in  several  ways. 

Colonel  Lyon  rode  at  the  head  of  his  column, 
with  Deck  beside  him.  The  Riverlawns  were 
riding  by  fours,  but  now  the  way  widened,  and 
the  horsemen  came  up  by  eights.  For  half  an 
hour  no  enemy  had  been  sighted,  but  now  the 
vedettes  came  back  announcing  several  bat- 
talions just  above  the  bend. 

"  And  some  of  the  company  are  sharpshooters," 
said  the  leader.  "  They  picked  off  poor  Rolloson 
at  a  distance  of  three  hundred  yards." 

Without  hesitation  Colonel  Lyon  summoned 
Major  Belthorpe  to  his  side  and  explained  the 
situation.  "I  wish  you  would  send  Captain 
Knox's  company  to  the  front.  I  think  it  would 
be  as  well  for  him  to  spread  his  men  to  the  left 
of  the  road,  but  he  can  use  his  own  judgment 
after  he  sees  the  lay  of  the  land." 

As  we  know,  Captain  Knox's  men  were  more 
or  less  experts  at  shooting,  they  being  Ken- 
tuckians  who  were  used  to  handling  firearms 
almost    daily    in    the  woods    and  on  the   border. 


230  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

The  order  was  transmitted  to  Life,  who  took 
his  command  ahead  on  the  double-quick.  This 
accomplished,  the  remaining  companies  continued 
on  the  road  until  another  bend  was  gained. 

The  Confederate  sharpshooters  had  stationed 
themselves  behind  some  heavy  brush,  not  daring 
to  climb  the  trees  for  fear  of  being  surrounded. 
No  sooner  had  the  seventh  company  of  the 
Riverlawns  appeared  than  they  opened  a  sharp 
fire,  wounding  two  privates. 

The  flashes  of  fire  and  the  smoke  served  to 
locate  the  sharpshooters  in  spite  of  the  down- 
pour of  rain,  but  instead  of  answering  the  shots 
at  once.  Life  took  his  command  around  to  the 
shelter  of  some  other  brush.  Then  he  com- 
menced to  work  up  on  the  Confederates'  rear, 
picking  off  three  men  in  less  than  as  many 
minutes. 

By  this  time  Deck  had  his  battalion  ready  for 
a  rush,  and  as  soon  as  Life  sent  word  where 
he  was  located,  the  young  major  started  forward 
on  a  gallop.  He,  however,  went  but  two  hun- 
dred yards,  just  enough  to  give  the  enemy  the 
impression  that  a  direct  attack  was  contem- 
plated.    Up  came  the  Confederates,  as  expected, 


THE    EVACUATION    OF   TULLAHOMA  231 

firing  as  rapidly  as  they  could.  Then,  realizing 
how  they  were  caught  between  two  fires,  they 
started  to  retreat,  only  to  find  themselves  faced 
by  Life  Knox's  command. 

"  Take  aim  !  Fire  !  "  cried  the  tall  Kentuckian, 
and  the  command  discharged  their  weapons,  not  as 
a  regular  company  would,  but  as  soon  as  a  proper 
"  bead "  could  be  drawn.  This  fire  was  most 
deadly,  and  when  Deck  ordered  another  advance, 
the  Confederates  began  to  flee  in  confusion,  about 
half  of  them  taking  to  the  main  road  of  Guy's 
Gap,  and  the  balance  taking  to  the  mountain 
trails. 

"  Forward,  men,  we  have  them  on  the  run 
now  !  "  shouted  Major  Deck,  waving  his  sabre. 
His  illness  was  now  forgotten,  and  he  rode  well 
in  advance,  by  Captain  Abbey's  side.  The  first 
battalion  was  far  in  advance  of  the  rest  of  the 
regiment,  and  as  it  swept  along,  Life  Knox's  com- 
pany joined  it  in  the  rear  without  waiting  for 
Major  Belthorpe's  battalion  to  appear. 

The  road  now  led  upward,  and  at  the  top  of  a 
rise,  the  Confederate  force  took  another  stand. 
There  were  in  all  about  four  hundred  men,  about 
the  same  number    Deck  possessed,  counting  the 


232  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

seventh  company  in  with  his  own.  Without  hesi- 
tation the  major  ordered  the  charge,  and  up  tlie 
hill  went  the  cavalry  at  full  speed,  firing  as  they 
advanced. 

The  cracking  of  guns  was  incessant,  and  now 
came  a  fierce  hand-to-hand  conflict,  as  the  first  and 
second  companies  of  the  Riverlawns  rode  directly 
upon  the  front  rank  of  the  enemy.  Infantry  and 
cavalry  splashed  and  slipped  in  the  mud,  and 
many  a  sabre-stroke  fell  harmlessly  upon  the 
flying  ends  of  a  water-soaked  army  cloak.  But 
the  top  of  the  hill  was  gained  and  held,  and  with 
a  yell  of  defiance  the  Confederates  fell  back  to 
where  their  main  body  was  located,  at  the  other 
end  of  the  Gap.  Deck  then  halted,  to  allow  the 
rest  of  the  regiment  to  overtake  him. 

It  was  decided  by  General  Mitchell  to  follow 
up  every  advantage  gained,  and  soon  another 
advance  was  ordered,  directly  along  the  main  road 
of  Guy's  Gap,  and  for  nearly  two  hours  the  battle 
raged,  the  Confederates  trying  vainly  to  hold  their 
own.  At  last  they  broke,  and  fled  directly  to  the 
rifle-pits  in  front  of  Shelbyville. 

"  We've  got  them  pretty  well  back  now,"  said 
Artie,    to  Life    Knox,  after  the  engagement  had 


THE   EVACUATION   OF   TULLAHOMA  233 

been  going  on  for  the  best  part  of  two  hours.  "I 
don't  believe  General  Mitchell  will  want  us  to 
charge  those  rifle-pits  to-day." 

"There  is  nothing  like  keeping  at  them  when 
they  have  been  retreating,"  answered  the  tall 
Kentuckian.  "  By  to-morrow  they  may  be  braced 
up  again." 

"  Yes,  but  Wheeler  is  here  with  a  very  large 
force  of  cavalry,  Life." 

"  So  I've  heard.  Well,  we'll  obey  orders,  I 
reckon,  no  matter  what  they  are,"  concluded  the 
commander  of  the  seventh  company. 

Orders  were  not  long  in  coming.  It  was  about 
six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  now  General 
Granger  joined  Mitchell  with  his  infantry  once 
more,  and  another  advance  was  ordered,  with  the 
cavalry  again  to  the  front.  Away  went  the  horse- 
men, straight  for  the  trenches.  Many  took  flying 
leaps  over  the  openings,  sending  the  mud  into  the 
very  faces  of  the  surprised  and  bewildered  Con- 
federates. The  attack  was  short  and  sharp,  and 
unable  to  withstand  the  shock  of  cavalry  backed 
up  by  Granger's  fine  infantry,  the  enemy  threw 
down  their  arms  and  started  pell-mell  for  Shelby- 
ville    proper.       The    Union    forces    pursued,    and 


234  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

captured  a  number  of  Confederates  near  the 
bank  of  Duck  River.  The  larger  portion  of 
the  Confederate  cavalry,  under  General  Wheeler, 
however,  escaped  by  swimming  their  animals 
across  the  turbulent  and  swollen  stream.  At 
seven  o'clock  the  town  had  surrendered,  giv- 
ing up  a  number  of  small  arms,  three  cannon, 
and  a  quantity  of  corn,  which  proved  highly 
acceptable. 

The  corps  commanders  were  now  called  to  gen- 
eral headquarters  and  each  received  his  orders 
in  writing.  McCook  was  to  advance  on  the 
Shelbyville  pike,  turn  to  the  left  on  the  War- 
trace  road,  and  seize  and  hold  Liberty  Gap ; 
General  Granger  to  threaten  Middleton  ;  Gen- 
eral Thomas  to  advance  on  the  Manchester  pike, 
and  hold,  if  possible,  Hoover's  Gap ;  some  cav- 
alry under  Turchin  to  establish  a  lookout  toward 
McMinnville,  and  the  balance  of  the  cavalry 
under  Mitchell  to  attack  the  rebel  cavalry  at 
Middleton. 

These  movements  were  executed  promptly,  de- 
spite floods  and  the  wretched  condition  of  the 
roads.  The  fighting  was  sharp,  the  Confeder- 
ates  disputing   every   foot    of    territory.       Both 


THE   EVACUATION   OF   TULLAHOMA  235 

sides  suffered  heavily,  and  the  weather  made 
matters  worse,  yet  nobody  grumbled,  for  the 
enlisted  men  were  now  becoming  hardened  to 
the  campaign,  and  realized  that  this  fighting  was 
only  the  introduction  to  the  tremendous  battles 
still  to  come. 

The  morning  of  the  28th  found  Thomas  ready 
to  start  the  move  which  was  to  bring  the  cam- 
paign to  a  climax.  McCook  and  Crittenden 
were  slowly  but  surely  concentrating  at  Man- 
chester. Thomas's  first  movement  was  to  send 
Colonel  Wilder  to  Dechard,  where  this  command 
destroyed  about  three  hundred  yards  of  the  rail- 
road which  the  Confederates  had  been  using. 
The  next  day  the  Tracy  City  railroad  was  also 
placed  in  a  useless  condition. 

On  the  29th  of  June  the  army  was  ready  for 
the  final  blow  at  Tullahoma.  The  advanced 
troops  were  within  a  mile  and  three-quarters  of 
the  city.  The  corps  of  McCook  and  Critten- 
den came  up  and  closed  in,  and  the  main  body 
of  the  cavalry,  including  the  Riverlawns,  arrived 
at  Manchester.  Thus  it  was  felt  Tullahoma 
was,  after  a  nine  days'  campaign,  completely  at 
the  mercy  of  the  Northern  forces. 


236  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION  , 

A  surprise  now  awaited  General  Rosecrans. 
A  citizen  of  the  town  came  to  Thomas  with  the 
report  that  General  Bragg  had  fled,  taking  all 
his  troops  with  him.  At  first  the  Union  com- 
mander could  not  believe  the  news,  and,  to 
make  sure,  he  sent  General  Steedman  ahead  to 
make  an  investigation.  The  general  marched 
into  Tullahoma,  captured  a  few  prisoners,  and 
verified  the  report.  Instantly  General  Rosecrans 
laid  plans  to  pursue  the  flying  Confederates. 
But  though  a  few  skirmishes  resulted,  and  a 
brave  stand  was  taken  by  both  sides  at  Elk 
River,  the  pursuit  proved  of  no  avail,  and  Bragg 
crossed  the  Cumberland  Mountains  unmolested, 
leaving,  as  the  fruits  of  the  campaign,  Middle 
Tennessee  free  from  Confederate  domination. 

It  has  been  said  by  several  authorities  that 
the  Tullahoma  campaign  was  the  greatest  con- 
ducted by  General  Rosecrans,  being  even  supe- 
rior to  that  which  came  immediately  after.  The 
enemy  was  dislodged  from  first  one  strongly  for- 
tified position  and  then  another,  and  sent  flying 
over  the  mountains  in  the  wildest  confusion. 
Nearly  seventeen  hundred  prisoners  were  taken, 
and   also   eleven  pieces    of   artillery   and  an   im- 


THE   EVACUATION   OF   TULLAHOMA  237 

mense  amount  of  army  stores.  The  loss  to  the 
Union  army  was  about  five  hundred  in  killed, 
wounded,  and  missing. 

"  We've  cleared  them  out  !  "  cried  Artie,  en- 
thusiastically, when  the  news  went  the  rounds 
that  the  Confederates  had  really  crossed  the  moun- 
tains and  were  on  their  way  to  Chattanooga. 

"  Yes,  and  the  two  armies  are  just  about  where 
they  were  last  summer,"  answered  Deck.  He 
was  resting  on  a  cot  in  his  rain-soaked  tent, 
while  his  brother  sat  on  a  camp-stool,  writing 
a  letter  to  the  folks  at  home.  "  My,  but  what 
a  washing-out  we've  had  !  " 

Despite  the  hardships,  however.  Deck  was  feel- 
ing better  steadily,  until  it  could  almost  be  said 
that  he  was  his  old  self  again.  He  had  made 
several  inquiries  about  Thomas  Derwiddie,  the 
Confederate  whose  life  he  had  saved,  but  noth- 
ing had  been  heard  concerning  the  escaped 
prisoner. 

In  a  skirmish  on  Duck  River,  Colonel  Lyon 
had  been  struck  in  the  leg.  The  wound  was 
not  serious,  but  the  officer  was  told  by  the  sur- 
geon who  attended  him  that  he  had  best  keep 
out   of  the   saddle   for  a  while,  and  this  advice 


238  An  undivided  union 

was  now  being  followed.  As  a  consequence, 
the  command  of  the  Riverlawns  had  fallen  upon 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Gordon. 

The  soldiers  were  feeling  good,  and  the  Fourth 
of  July  was  celebrated  in  camp  in  a  rousing  fash- 
ion, with  huge  camp-fires,  a  double  supply  of 
rations,  and  the  roasting  of  several  small  porkers 
confiscated  at  Manchester,  when  that  town  was 
first  entered.  In  the  evening  several  pieces  of 
"  home-made "'  fireworks  were  set  off,  and  the 
more  hilarious  of  the  boys  in  blue  got  up  a  dance, 
ladies  being  represented  by  several  cavalrymen 
who  had  appropriated  portions  of  feminine  attire 
found  in  deserted  houses  that  had  been  passed. 
The  "  boys "  were  bound  to  have  their  play  at 
any  cost,  no  matter  how  tired  the  recent  hard 
marching  and  riding  had  left  them. 

The  appearance  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumber- 
land in  the  centre  of  Tennessee  once  again  filled 
the  inhabitants  with  dismay.  Bragg  had  assured 
them  of  his  protection,  and  the  planters  had 
taken  him  at  his  word  and  tilled  and  cultivated 
their  fields.  Now,  instead  of  these  products 
going  to  enrich  the  Confederacy,  they  were  con- 
fiscated  by   the  Union  forces,  as   a  necessity  of 


THE   EVACUATION   OF    TULLAHOMA  239 

war.  As  was  natural,  the  farmers  protested ; 
but  these  protests  were  of  no  avail,  excepting 
in  rare  cases,  when  payments  were  made  for 
what  was  taken. 

The  Riverlawns  had  been  ordered  to  Manches- 
ter, and  were  encamped  not  far  from  the  rail- 
road. They  were  now  ordered  to  Salem,  and 
reaching  there,  found  themselves  brigaded  with 
Major-General  Stanley's  entire  force. 

"  Something  is  up,"  remarked  Major  Deck  to 
Major  Belthorpe.  "  But  what  it  is  I  can't 
imagine." 

"I  heard  something  said  about  a  shortness 
of  horses,"  answered  Kate  Belthorpe's  brother. 
"  Perhaps  we  are  to  go  on  a  raid  and  see  what 
we  can  round  up." 

Major  Belthorpe's  surmise  proved  correct,  as 
Deck  soon  learned  by  the  orders  given  him. 
The  entire  cavalry  was  to  combine  in  a  grand 
sweep  to  Huntsville,  Alabama,  rounding  up  as 
many  horses  and  as  much  cattle  and  other  live 
stock  as  possible.  The  advance  was  to  cover 
several  miles  of  territory,  and  a  dozen  different 
roads  were  pursued,  the  start  being  made  on 
July  the  12th. 


240  Alf  UNDIVIDED  UNION 

As  Lieutenant-Colonel  Gordon  was  suffering 
from  an  attack  of  chills  and  fever,  Major  Lyon 
was  placed  in  command  of  the  regiment.  He 
was  instructed  to  move  almost  directly  southward, 
by  the  way  of  a  small  village  called  Crespin,  the 
name  of  which  has  since  been  changed.  The. 
road  was  a  fair  one,  and  ten  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing saw  the  Riverlawns  on  the  move.  It  was 
not  intended  that  the  round-up  should  last  more 
than  four  or  five  days,  and  the  cavalry  went  in 
the  lightest  possible  marching  order. 

Less  than  ten  miles  had  been  covered  when  the 
scouts  in  advance,  under  Captain  Ripley  of  the 
eighth  company,  sent  word  back  that  a  small  de- 
tachment of  Confederates  were  in  advance,  driv- 
ing about  thirty  horses  southward  just  as  hard 
as  they  could.  Besides  the  horses,  they  had  three 
Union  prisoners,  one  of  whom  wore  the  uniform 
of  a  captain  of  artillery. 

"Three  prisoners  and  thirty  horses,"  mused 
Deck.  "We  must  stop  them,  by  all  means." 
Without  delay  he  sent  for  Majors  Truman  and 
Belthorpe  and  gave  the  necessary  orders,  and 
soon  the  Riverlawns  were  making  the  best  pos- 
sible speed  over  the  torn-up  pike.     A  distance  of 


THE    EVACUATION    OF   TULLAHOMA  241 

two  miles  was  covered  in  less  than  twenty  min- 
utes, when  another  report  came  in  that  aston- 
ished Deck  beyond  measure.  The  report  was 
as  follows  :  — 

"  Confederate  force,  horses,  and  prisoners  have 
utterly  disappeared.  No  buildings  or  woods  for 
them  to  hide  in.  Cannot  guess  what  has  become 
of  them.  Looks  as  if  the  earth  had  swallowed 
them  up,  but  the  quicksands  are  not  quite  bad 
enough  for  that.  Will  keep  our  eyes  wide  open, 
but  that  is  all  we  can  do." 

Without  delay  Deck,  accompanied  by  Major 
Belthorpe,  rode  forward  to  investigate. 


CHAPTER   XIX 

IN    WHICH    THE    RIVERLAWNS    ARE    CAUGHT    IN 
A    TRAP 

To  have  a  body  of  the  enemy  disappear  utterly 
from  view  when  there  were  no  hills  or  woods  in 
which  they  might  hide,  was  a  new  experience  to 
Major  Lyon,  and  it  was  small  wonder,  therefore, 
that  his  brow  contracted  into  a  frown  as  he 
urged  Ceph  ahead  at  topmost  speed. 

"  What  do  you  make  of  this,  Tom  ?  "  he  ques- 
tioned, of  the  major  of  the  second  battalion. 

"  Hang  me  if  I  know  what  to  make,"  was  the 
answer.  "  Captain  Ripley  must  be  losing  his 
eyesight  if  he  can't  keep  forty  or  fifty  men  and 
nearly  a  hundred  horses  in  sight." 

"  Then  his  whole  command  must  be  losing 
their  eyesight,  for  the  enemy  is  gone,  and  no- 
body can  even  guess  where  to." 

"  We'll  solve  the  mystery  somehow.  Deck. 
But  we  ought  to  beware  that  we  don't  fall  into 
some  trap." 

242 


THE   RIVEKLAWNS    CAUGHT   IN   A   TRAP      243 

It  took  but  a  few  minutes  to  reach  Captain 
Ripley's  advance  guard,  consisting  of  one-third 
of  the  eighth  company.  The  captain  himself  had 
the  blankest  look  on  his  face  Deck  had  ever 
beheld. 

"  It  gets  me,  Major ;  never  heard  of  such  a 
thing  in  all  my  born  days,"  declared  the  captain. 
"  We  saw  them  as  plain  as  day,  riding  behind 
yonder  hedge.  They  didn't  come  out  at  the 
other  end,  and  so  I  and  three  of  the  others 
climbed  into  the  trees,  only  to  find  the  vicinity 
of  the  brush  deserted.  Reckon  the  earth  has 
swallowed  'em  up." 

"  Well,  Ripley,  they  have  gone  somewhere, 
that's  as  sure  as  guns,"  was  the  answer  of  the 
young  major.  "  Move  a  portion  of  your  men  to 
the  upper  end  of  the  brushwood,  and  another 
portion  to  the  other  side,  and  we'll  endeavor  to 
get  to  the  bottom  of  this  mystery." 

The  command  was  obeyed,  and  meanwhile  Deck 
sent  back  word  to  Major  Truman  to  bring  up  the 
regiment  and  scatter  it  in  a  huge  circle  around 
the  vicinity.  "  Unless  they  have  slipped  on  ahead, 
we  are  bound  to  get  them,"  he  said  to  Tom 
Belthorpe. 


244  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

Captain  Ripley  had  gone  with  six  men  to  the 
upper  end  of  the  brush,  Belthorpe  remained  with 
six  others  where  the  first  stand  had  been  taken, 
while  Deck,  with  the  remaining  cavalrymen  pres- 
ent, made  a  detour,  coming  up  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  growth,  and  at  a  distance  of  three 
hundred  yards.  He  was  on  a  slight  hill,  and 
could  look  directly  down  upon  the  spot  the  Con- 
federates, with  the  extra  horses,  had  occupied. 
As  Captain  Ripley  had  said,  the  enemy  was  no- 
where in  sight. 

The  men  looked  at  Deck,  and  it  must  be  con- 
fessed the  major  felt  uncomfortable,  for  he  had 
been  certain  that  something  would  turn  up  when 
a  better  view  of  the  ground  back  of  the  brush 
was  obtained. 

"We  will  advance,  —  but  do  so  cautiously," 
said  the  major,  and  drew  his  pistol.  Hardly  two 
hundred  feet  had  been  covered  when  he  made 
a  discovery.  The  brush  overhung  a  small,  rocky 
brook,  probably  three  feet  deep  in  the  centre. 
But  where  the  water  came  from  and  where  it 
went  to  was  another  question.  Certainly,  in 
making  the  detour,  he  and  his  men  had  crossed 
no  such  watercourse. 


THE   MVBRLAWNS   CAUGHT   IN   A   TRAP      245 

"It  must  come  either  from  a  powerful  spring 
or  from  underground,"  he  reasoned.  "  For- 
ward !  "  he  shouted.  "  That  running  stream  must 
solve  the  mystery. 

The  brook  was  soon  gained,  and  found  to  flow 
to  the  south  west  ward.  A  detail  was  sent  up 
the  stream,  and  soon  came  back  reporting  that 
there  were  several  small  springs  there,  but  the 
larger  portion  of  the  water  came  from  a  flow 
out  of  the  side  of  a  small  hill. 

Major  Truman  now  reported  that  the  River- 
lawns  had  surrounded  the  entire  territory,  and 
feeling  certain  he  had  the  enemy  secure.  Deck 
continued  his  investigation.  Several  cavalry- 
men were  sent  down  the  centre  of  the  brook, 
while  he  kept  abreast  of  them  beyond  the 
brush. 

Almost  the  end  of  the  wood  was  gained,  when 
the  cavalrymen  shouted  out  that  they  had  reached 
a  small  waterfall,  and  could  go  no  further.  Press- 
ing over  the  rocky  ground.  Deck  gained  the 
waterfall,  to  find  at  its  bottom  a  well-hole  in 
the  almost  solid  rock,  some  fifty  or  sixty  feet 
in  diameter.  At  the  bottom  was  a  pool,  partly 
covered  with  dead  brush  and  decayed  tree  trunks, 


246  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

and  the  water  ran  off  in  a  large  opening  to  one 
side  of  the  well-hole. 

"  Here  are  horses'  hoof-prints,  Major,"  said  one 
of  the  men.  "I  shouldn't  wonder  if  there  is  a 
winding  path  leading  down  to  that  'air  pool. 
But  if  the  rebs  went  down  there,  what  became 
of  'em?" 

"  There  may  be  a  cave  there,"  answered  Deck. 
"These  underground  watercourses  often  flow 
through  caves  around  where  I  live,  not  far  from 
the  Mammoth  Cave." 

"  To  be  sure.  Major.     Shall  we  go  down  ?  " 

"Yes,  but  be  on  your  guard." 

The  winding  path  was  soon  traced  out,  and 
not  caring  to  risk  the  limbs  of  their  animals,  the 
cavalrymen  went  down  on  foot.  In  high  curi- 
osity, Deck  followed,  to  find  himself  in  a  cold 
and  gloomy  place  continually  filled  with  fine 
spray  from  the  waterfall.  True  enough,  there 
was  a  cave  some  ten  feet  high  by  tAventy  feet 
wide  beyond  the  falling  waters,  through  the 
bottom  of  which  flowed  the  brook  as  peacefully 
as  it  flowed  above  in  the  sunshine.  Looking 
ahead,  they  saw  the  outlet  of  the  cave,  several 
hundred  yards  distant. 


THE    RIVERLAWNS    CAUGHT    IN    A    TRAP       247 

"  They  have  outwitted  us  !  "  cried  Deck,  after 
a  moment's  examination.  "They  came  down 
here  and  rode  right  through  the  cave.  Evi- 
dently they  were  commanded  by  somebody  who 
knows  this  locality  well.  They  have  a  fine  start 
of  us,  but  if  we  don't  let  them  know  what 
we  have  discovered  we  may  yet  take  them 
unawares." 

As  no  one  had  his  horse,  all  present  had  to 
climb  back  to  the  top  of  the  well-hole.  As  soon 
as  this  was  done,  Major  Lyon  despatched  several 
messengers  to  notify  his  officers  of  the  truth  of 
the  situation,  and  then  set  off  at  full  speed  in 
the  direction  the  retreating  enemy  had  taken. 
He  was  soon  joined  by  Captain  Abbey  with  the 
first  battalion,  and  the  four  companies  were 
urged  forward  at  the  best  speed  the  condition 
of  the  road  allowed. 

The  Confederates  had  made  good  use  of  the 
time  gained  by  the  trick  they  had  played,  but 
they  could  not  go  on  forever,  and  by  nightfall 
their  horses  were  so  wearied  they  refused  to  get 
off  a  walk,  and  then  their  commander,  a  plucky 
j^oung  man  from  Montgomery,  who  was  by  pro- 
fession a  surveyor,  and  well  acquainted  with  the 


248  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

territory,  led  his  men  and  the  extra  horses  di- 
rectly into  a  bit  of  swamp  ground,  surrounded 
by  a  thicket  of  cypresses.  There  were  but  "two 
paths  into  the  swamp,  and  he  felt  tolerably  safe 
from  pursuit. 

The  trick  that  had  been  played  upon  him 
put  Deck  upon  his  mettle,  and  he  determined, 
come  what  might,  that  the  Riverlawns  should 
capture  those  particular  Confederates  ere  the 
journey  to  Huntsville  was  resumed.  As  an 
entrance  to  the  swamp  would  have  proved  dan- 
gerous in  the  darkness,  he  encamped,  for  the 
night  on  the  outside,  but  sent  out  a  strong 
picket  guard  to  surround  the  district. 

The  Confederates  endeavored  to  escape  at 
four  in  the  morning,  knowing  that  daylight 
would  prove  fatal  to  such  an  undertaking. 
They  came  out  of  the  swamp  on  both  roads, 
and  an  alarm  from  the  two  spots  rang  out 
almost  simultaneously.  But  Major  Lyon  had 
prepared  for  this,  and  at  the  first  alarm  the 
first  battalion  galloped  to  one  road,  the  second 
battalion  to  the  other,  while  Major  Truman's 
command  kept  on  the  grand  circle.  Thus  it 
was  fight  or  go  back  and  be  hunted  down,  and 


His  Foot  caught  the  Man  i.\  the  Face. 

Page  249. 


THE   EIVERLAWNS   CAUGHT   IN   A   TRAP      249 

the  plucky  Confederate  captain  chose  to  fight. 
Those  on  the  second  road  ran  or  rode  to  the 
first,  and  the  entire  command  charged  the  first 
company  of  Deck's  battalion. 

Maddened  by  what  seemed  a  hopeless  charge, 
the  Confederates  fought  desperately,  but  they 
could  do  nothing  against  such  superior  numbers, 
and  almost  the  first  man  to  go  down  was  the 
captain,  shot  through  the  heart.  Deck  was 
within  a  hundred  feet  of  the  fellow,  and  hardly 
had  their  leader  fallen  than  two  Confederates 
rushed  upon  the  young  major,  each  with  a  bay- 
onet affixed  to  his  gun. 

"  We'll  run  you  through,  Yank  !  "  cried  one, 
and  made  a  furious  onslaught  with  his  bayonet. 
The  other  did  the  same,  and  although  Deck  was 
not  touched,  Ceph  received  a  severe  prick  in 
the  right  flank.  The  next  instant  Deck  fired, 
and  one  soldier  went  down,  shot  through  the 
ankle. 

The  second  soldier  was  directly  in  front  of 
Ceph,  and  maddened  by  pain,  the  horse  reared 
up  on  his  hind  legs,  made  a  leap,  and  came 
down  heavily  on  the  Confederate.  His  right 
front   foot   caught  the  man  in  the  face,  and   he 


250  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION  v 

went  down  with  a  broken  nose,  a  disfigured 
forehead,  and  totally  senseless.  Then  Ceph 
took  another  leap,  and  in  a  twinkling  the  whole 
scene  was  a  thing  of  the  past. 

The  second  battalion  had  followed  the  flying 
enemy  through  the  swamp,  Major  Belthorpe 
being  satisfied  his  horses  could  go  wherever  the 
Confederates  found  a  footing.  As  the  enemy 
was  now  brought  to  a  standstill,  he  was  caught 
between  two  fires,  and  there  was  nothing  left 
for  him  to  do  but  to  surrender.  The  captain 
being  killed,  the  second  in  command,  a  tough- 
looking  specimen  of  the  "swamp  angel,"  threw 
up  his  hands,  in  one  of  which  fluttered  a  dirty 
white  handkerchief. 

"  Do  you  surrender  ?  "  demanded  Major  Lyon, 
who  saw  the  movement. 

"  Yes,"  was  the  surly  response. 

"  Very  well  ;  advance  one  by  one,  and  throw 
down  your  arms  in  a  heap.  Captain  Abbey, 
have  your  company  cover  them  well." 

"  Say,  but  you're  a  young  rooster  to  be  givin' 
orders  around  hyer,"  went  on  the  "angel." 

"  You  will  keep  silent  and  do  as  ordered," 
said  Deck,  briefly;   and  then  no  more  was  said. 


THE    RIVERLAWNS    CAUGHT   IN    A    TRAP       251 

One  by  one  the  Confederates  advanced  and 
deposited  their  arms  as  commanded.  This 
being  concluded,  Captain  Abbey  was  ordered  to 
form  the  enemy  into  columns  of  fours  and  march 
them  to  the  highway  beyond  the  swamp.  The 
second  company  took  charge  of  the  horses,  of 
which  there  proved  to  be  forty-seven  all  told. 
Four  were  found  to  be  in  a  pitiable  condition, 
and  these  the  major  ordered  shot,  to  put  them 
out  of  their  misery. 

"  Well,  Major,  we  have  made  a  fine  capture 
truly,"  remarked  Captain  Blenks,  of  the  second 
company,  after  reporting  that  at  least  thirty  of 
the  horses  were  thoroughbreds.  "Those  ani- 
mals alone  are  worth  twelve  or  fifteen  thousand 
dollars." 

"  Where  are  the  three  prisoners  the  Confed- 
erates were  holding  ?  " 

"I  haven't  heard  of  them." 

Without  delay  Deck  summoned  the  leader  of 
the  captured  crowd  before  him. 

"  I  want  to  know  something  about  the  three 
prisoners  you  had  with  you,"  he  said. 

"They  got  away  from  us  last  night." 

"  You  are  telling  me  the  truth  ?  " 


252  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

"Yes,  Major.  We  had  a  traitor  among  us  —  a 
lad  from  Kentucky  named  Feswell.  He  untied 
'em,  and  the  hull  four  skipped  in  the  darkness." 

Unwilling  to  believe  the  fellow,  who  looked 
the  rascal  in  his  face,  Deck  waited  until  day- 
light, and  then  sent  a  detail  to  search  the  swamp 
from  end  to  end.  The  men  were  under  the 
command  of  Sandy  Lyon,  and  in  less  than  an 
hour  they  returned  with  the  three  prisoners,  who 
had  been  tied  to  trees  and  gagged.  One  of  the 
poor  fellows,  the  captain  of  an  Illinois  company, 
was  in  distress  from  a  bullet- wound  in  his  arm,  and 
all  three  were  suffering  from  hunger  and  thirst. 

Deck's  indignation  over  this  discovery  was 
great,  and  he  at  once  visited  the  batch  of  pris- 
oners and  read  them  a  lecture  on  their  brutal- 
ity. "  War  is  one  thing,  and  uncalled-for 
heartlessness  is  another,"  he  said.  "  Had  these 
three  men  been  left  to  die  in  the  swamp,  every 
one  of  you  who  knew  of  their  plight  would 
have  been  guilty  of  murder.  I  had  intended 
to  send  you  into  the  Union  lines  as  you  are  ; 
now  each  of  you  shall  ride  the  distance  with 
his  arms  strapped  behind  him,  and  your  rations 
shall  be  hardtack  and  water,  —  nothing  more." 


THE   RIVERLAWNS   CAUGHT    IN    A   TRAP      253 

At  this  there  was  an  outburst  of  indignation. 
But  Deck  was  obdurate,  and  the  Confederates 
were  forced  to  submit.  Men  and  horses  were 
placed  in  the  charge  of  the  third  battalion,  and 
by  noontime  Major  Truman  was  on  his  way 
northward  with  them,  the  three  Union  men 
accompanying  the  command,  and  assisting  in 
watching  the  prisoners. 

By  nightfall  the  first  and  second  battalions 
had  reached  a  small  hamlet  known  as  Conners, 
and  they  encamped  on  the  outskirts,  occupying 
a  deserted  farmhouse,  and  a  half-dozen  barns 
close  by.  Sentinels  had  been  carefully  posted, 
and  Deck  and  the  others  got  a  good  sleep  after 
the  night  of  wakefulness  at  the  swamp. 

It  still  wanted  two  hours  of  daylight  when 
a  message  was  brought  to  Deck  that  the  River- 
lawns  were  wanted  at  a  spot  two  miles  south  of 
where  they  were  encamped.  It  was  reported 
that  a  portion  of  Minty's  cavalry  had  encoun- 
tered a  body  of  Forrest's  command,  to  which 
was  attached  a  number  of  Tennessee  guerillas. 
Help  was  wanted  at  once,  or  the  Union  troops 
would  be  annihilated. 

The  message  perplexed   Deck  not  a  little,  as 


254  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION  , 

he  had  no  idea  that  Minty  was  in  the  vicinity. 
Yet,  if  help  was  needed,  he  was  not  the  one  to 
hold  back,  and  in  less  than  half  an  hour  the 
Riverlawns  were  on  the  way,  eating  their  ham 
and  hardtack  as  they  galloped  forward.  The 
messenger,  an  elderly  man  who  wore  the  shoul- 
der straps  of  a  lieutenant  of  cavalry,  stated  that 
he  knew  every  foot  of  ground  in  that  part  of 
Alabama,  and  was,  therefore,  allowed  to  take 
the  lead  without  question. 

For  half  a  mile  the  course  was  along  a  well- 
defined  trail  leading  out  of  the  swamp  lands  to 
a  rocky  and  sandy  elevation  covered  with  a 
stunted  growth  of  trees.  Then  they  came  to  a 
narrow  defile  where  but  two  cavalrymen  could 
ride  abreast.  Here  a  guard  was  thrown  out ; 
but  no  enemy  developed,  and  the  defile  was  left 
behind  and  they  emerged  upon  an  open  plain 
ending  in  a  slight  depression.  From  here  a 
woods  could  be  seen,  almost  three-quarters  of 
a  mile  distant. 

Deck  had  been  riding  at  the  head  of  the  col- 
umn, but  at  the  defile  he  had  turned  back,  to 
make  certain  that  every  company  came  through 
in  safety.     Now  he  moved  forward  once   more, 


THE    RIVERLAWNS    CAUGHT    IN    A    TRAP       255 

just  as  Captain  Abbey  made  the  discovery  that 
the  trail  was  becoming  dangerous  through  quick- 
sands. 

"We  have  gone  wrong,  Major,  I  believe,"  said 
the  captain.     "  Where  is  that  guide  ?  " 

"  Why,  I  left  him  with  you  !  "  exclaimed  Deck, 
in  astonishment. 

"  I  know  you  did ;  but  he  rode  back  to  inter- 
view you  and  see  if  it  wouldn't  be  advisable  to 
branch  off  on  two  roads  which  he  stated  were 
just  beyond  here." 

"  I  have  seen  nothing  of  him,"  said  Deck,  and 
instantly  became  suspicious.  Several  messengers 
were  sent  out,  to  the  front  and  the  rear,  and  it 
speedily  became  known  that  the  guide  had  dis- 
appeared. Hardly  had  this  word  come  in  than 
the  rear  guard  announced  the  presence  of  a  body 
of  Confederate  cavalry  on  the  hills  on  both  sides 
of  the  defile  just  passed.  Deck  had  but  listened 
to  the  report  when  there  came  another  from  the 
front.  The  plain  was  impassable,  being  nothing 
more  than  an  immense  bed  of  quicksand.  The 
Riverlawns  were  caught  in  a  trap. 


CHAPTER   XX 

MAJOR    LYON    WINS    A    BATTLE    AND    LOSES    HIS 
HOESE 

Major  Dexter  Lyon  realized  that  he  had 
been  played  false  by  the  so-styled  guide,  and 
that  his  two  battalions  were  in  a  dangerous 
situation.  The  eight  companies  of  horsemen 
were  in  the  centre  of  a  small  plain.  In  a  semi- 
circle in  front  was  a  low  and  treacherous  quick- 
sand, impossible  of  passage  ;  in  a  semi-circle  to 
the  rear  was  a  rocky  elevation,  divided  in  half 
by  the  defile  through  which  the  cavalry  had  just 
passed.  On  the  rocky  elevation,  on  both  sides 
of  the  dehle,  Confederate  cavalry  had  been  dis- 
covered, ready  to  pour  in  a  hot  fire  on  them 
the  moment  they  attempted  to  turn  back  on 
their  trail. 

"  Major,  it  looks  as  if  our  goose  was  cooked," 
remarked  Tom  Belthorpe,  after  the  reports  from 
the  front  and  the  rear  had  been  considered. 
"They  couldn't  have  laid  a  neater  trap  for  us." 

256 


MAJOR   LYON   WINS   A   BATTLE  257 

"  And  I  allowed  myself  to  walk  into  it  blind- 
folded," answered  Deck,  somewhat  bitterly. 

"  The  rebels  kept  mighty  shady  when  we  came 
through  the  defile,"  put  in  Captain  Abbey,  who 
was  also  at  hand.  "  I  wonder  why  they  didn't 
open  on  us  then  and  there  ?  " 

"  That  is  an  easy  question  to  answer.  Cap- 
tain," said  Deck.  "  If  they  had  opened  up,  our 
command  could  have  retreated ;  now  they  have 
every  one  of  us  just  about  where  they  want  us." 

"  But  you  won't  surrender  without  a  fight, 
will  you?"  demanded  Kate  Belthorpe's  brother, 
anxiously. 

"  I  have  never  yet  done  any  surrendering, 
Tom.  I  want  to  know  just  how  bad —  What 
is  it,  Captain?" 

"  A  flag  of  truce,"  answered  Captain  Life 
Knox,  as  he  dashed  up.  "A  private  is  carry- 
ing it,  and  there  is  a  Confederate  captain  of 
cavalry  with  him." 

"  Indeed !  They  evidently  want  to  rush 
things.  Come  with  me,  and  we'll  see  what  they 
want." 

Side  by  side  Deck  and  Life  rode  off,  the  way 
being  to  the  lower  edge  of  the  rocky  elevation. 


258  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION  , 

Here  the  Confederates  had  come  to  a  halt  in  the 
midst  of  some  underbrush. 

"  I  am  Captain  Adairs,  Mississippi  Volunteer 
Cavalry,"  said  the  Confederate  officer,  with  a 
salute,  which  the  others  promptly  returned. 
"  Who  is  in  command  of  those  Union  troops  ? " 

"  I  am  in  command,"  answered  Deck. 

"Major  Dexter  Lyon,"  put  in  Life,  introduc- 
ing him. 

"  Well,  Major  Lyon,  I  reckon  you  know  we 
have  you  in  a  pretty  tight  box,"  went  on  the 
Confederate  captain,  with  a  smile. 

"  Is  that  so  ? "  returned  Deck,  as  though  the 
thought  was  brand-new  to  him. 

"  We  have.  Ahead  is  nothing  but  swamp  and 
quicksand,  and  back  here  my  command  hold  the 
defile  and  the  entire  elevation." 

"  You  must  have  your  company  pretty  well 
spread  out,"  remarked  Deck. 

""I  have  more  than  one  company  with  me  — 
fully  enough  men  to  hold  the  spot.  So  you  see 
you  are  entirely  cut  off." 

"Cut  off  from  where?" 

"  The  outside  world,  so  to  speak,"  was  the  Con- 
federate's impatient  answer. 


MAJOR   LYON   WINS   A   BATTLE  259 

"  If  we  are,  that's  rather  bad  for  us,  Captain," 
and  now  Deck  began  to  smile. 

"  It  is.  The  question  is,  are  you  willing  to 
surrender  ?  "  demanded  Captain  Adairs. 

"To  whom?" 

"Why,  to  me,  of  course." 

"  Great  Caesar,  Captain,  what  for  ?  " 

"  What  for  ?  Because  you  can't  help  yourself, 
that's  what  for  ! "  and  now  the  veneering  of 
gentlemanliness  vanished.  "  I  call  on  you  to 
surrender.  If  you  won't,  I'll  open  fire  on  you 
in  less  than  five  minutes." 

"  Make  it  ten  minutes,  Captain,"  and  Deck  kept 
on  smiling. 

"  Ten  minutes  ?  "  And  the  smile  and  the  re- 
quest perplexed  the  Confederate  not  a  little,  as  it 
also  perplexed  Life  Knox.  The  latter  could  not 
imagine  what  the  major  was  driving  at,  for  while 
he  was  a  good  soldier,  and  a  first-class  shot,  diplo- 
macy, military  or  otherwise,  was  beyond  him. 

"  Exactly,  ten  minutes  —  or  possibly  quarter  of 
an  hour." 

"I  shall  not  wait  longer  than  five  minutes." 

"  Then  I'll  try  to  make  five  minutes  do,  al- 
though it  will  hardly  be  time  enough." 


260  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION  t 

"Time  enough  for  what?" 

"  Time  enough  for  me  to  arrange  my  plans  for 
giving  you  battle,"  answered  Deck,  as  calmly  as 
ever. 

"  See  here,  do  you  take  me  for  a  —  a  fool  ?  " 
cried  the  Confederate  captain.  "What  are  you 
driving  at  ?  I  won't  waste  any  more  words  with 
you." 

"  Won't  you  ?  "  Deck  had  his  field-glasses  in 
his  hand,  and  now  he  pointed  them  to  the  north- 
ward of  the  rocky  elevation.  "They  are  coming, 
Life!"  he  cried.  "We  are  all  right!  Come  on 
back  !  "  And  he  waved  his  hand  to  his  compan- 
ion. "  Good  day,  Captain,  and  I  don't  think  I'll 
surrender  —  now  !  " 

"  Fooled  !  "  burst  from  the  Confederate's  lips. 
"  They  are  being  reenforced  !  Why  did  I  waste 
words  here  ! "  And  without  another  look  at 
Deck,  he  turned  and  galloped  off  with  his 
orderly ;  and  soon  the  two  pairs  were  several 
hundred  yards  apart. 

"  It  was  well  done  —  you  scared  him  nicely  !  " 
burst  out  Life.  "  But  what's  the  next  move  on 
the  checkerboard.  Deck  ?  " 

"The  next  move  is  to  gain  yonder  grove  of 


MAJOR    LYON    WINS    A    BATTLE  261 

trees  as  quickly  as  we  can.  Carry  the  word  to 
Major  Belthorpe,  and  tell  him  to  send  Captain 
Ripley's  sharpshooters  and  your  own  in  advance. 
The  first  and  second  companies  can  come  over 
here." 

Away  went  Life  Knox  with  the  swiftness  of 
the  wind,  realizing  that  success  depended  upon 
speed,  for  it  would  take  but  a  few  minutes  for 
the  Confederates  to  learn  the  truth  concerning  the 
ruse  Deck  had  employed  against  them. 

As  soon  as  the  tall  Kentuckian  had  gone,  Deck 
advanced  toward  the  trees  mentioned,  rapidly 
but  cautiously,  for  he  had  no  desire  to  be  picked 
off  by  some  concealed  Confederate  marksman. 
His  course  lay  over  a  series  of  rough  rocks,  but 
Ceph  sprang  from  one  to  another  with  the  light- 
ness of  a  mountain  goat.  Soon  the  shelter  of  the 
first  row  of  trees  was  gained. 

Deck  was  not  particularly  a  woodsman,  but  as 
a  boy  he  had  climbed  many  a  maple-tree  in  New 
Hampshire,  and  later  on,  many  a  walnut  in  Ken- 
tucky. He  had  not  forgotten  the  art,  and  stand- 
ing up  on  Ceph's  back  he  leaped  into  the  branches 
of  the  tree  above  him,  and  climbed  to  the  top  in 
what  Artie  would  have  called  "jig  time." 


262  AN    UNDIVIDED   UNION  ' 

The  tree  was  tall,  and  standing  on  an  eleva- 
tion, afforded  a  good  view  of  the  surrounding 
territory  for  a  mile  or  more  on  every  side.  Tak- 
ing up  his  glasses  again  he  inspected  the  situation 
with  care. 

Captain  Adairs  had  told  the  truth  about  having 
more  companies  than  one.  There  were  three 
commands  all  told,  each  numbering  probably 
seventy  to  eighty  men.  One  was  on  this  side  of 
the  defile,  and  two  were  on  the  opposite  side. 
The  men  were  scattered  at  convenient  points  for 
holding  the  defile  against  almost  any  force. 

While  Deck  was  surveying  the  situation,  the 
Confederate  captain  reached  his  men,  and  orders 
were  at  once  issued  which  took  away  half  of  the 
men  at  the  rocky  pass,  and  sent  them  in  the 
direction  of  the  main  road  beyond.  This  left  but 
half  a  company  in  the  neighborhood  Deck  was 
reconnoitring. 

"  If  we  can't  whip  half  a  company,  no  matter 
what  advantage  they  have  behind  the  rocks,  we 
are  not  fit  for  the  Union  army,"  thought  the 
major,  and  began  to  descend  the  tree. 

He  had  just  stepped  on  the  limb  below  him, 
when  he  heard  a  crashing  through  the  brush  be- 


MAJOR    LYON    WINS    A    BATTLE  263 

tween  the  rocks.  Wondering  if  it  was  friend  or 
foe,  he  paused,  and  tried  to  look  down.  But  the 
thick  leaves  and  heavy  branches  cut  off  the  view 
below  completely. 

"  Git  up  thar,  git  up  !  "  he  heard,  in  a  rough, 
heavy  voice,  as  somebody  leaped  upon  Ceph's 
back.  Then  came  a  clatter  of  horse's  hoofs,  and 
he  heard  his  faithful  steed  move  off  —  a  prisoner 
of  the  enemy  ! 

To  Deck,  Ceph  was  among  his  dearest  posses- 
sions, and  regardless  of  his  danger,  he  scrambled 
down  the  tree  with  all  possible  speed,  at  the  same 
time  calling  upon  the  unknown  horse-thief  to 
stop.  But  neither  man  nor  beast  halted,  and  by 
the  time  the  major  was  down  both  were  well  out 
of  sight. 

Bitter  as  he  felt  over  his  loss,  now  was  no  time 
for  Deck  to  grieve,  and  he  scrambled  over  the 
rough  ground  until  he  came  in  sight  of  the  first 
and  second  company,  advancing  as  directed.  At 
the  same  moment  a  scattering  volley  of  shots 
from  the  other  grove  of  trees  told  that  the  sharp- 
shooters under  Ripley  and  Life  Knox  had  got  to 
work. 

"Lieutenant     Fronklyn!"     cried    the     major. 


264  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

"  Go  to  Major  Belthorpe  at  once,  and  tell  him  to 
bring  all  of  the  companies  he  has  excepting 
Captain  Ripley's  men  around  here  without  delay. 
Captain  Ripley  is  to  work  into  the  woods,  but 
steer  for  the  defile." 

"Orders  understood,"  replied  Lieutenant 
Fronklyn,  and  galloped  off. 

Lieutenant  Fronklyn  was  known  to  be  a  good 
rider,  and  he  was  soon  out  of  sight.  Without 
waiting  for  the  balance  of  his  command,  minus 
the  sharpshooters  under  Ripley,  to  come  up. 
Deck  urged  the  first  and  second  companies 
forward. 

The  sudden  attack,  added  to  the  report  that 
another  force  of  the  enemy  was  on  the  highway, 
threw  the  Confederates  in  confusion,  and  al- 
though they  stood  their  ground,  it  could  be 
seen  that  they  felt  more  like  breaking  away. 
Several  volleys  were  exchanged,  and  half  a 
dozen  men  on  both  sides  were  hit,  but  nobody 
seriously. 

In  the  meantime  Captain  Ripley  and  Captain 
Knox  had  worked  into  the  woods  rapidly,  and 
it  was  found  impossible  by  Major  Belthorpe  to 
bring    Life   back,  although  an   orderly  was  sent 


MAJOR   LYON   WINS   A   BATTLE  265 

to  deliver  Deck's  order  to  the  Kentuckian. 
The  balance  of  the  companies  followed  the  first 
half  of  the  first  battalion  without  delay. 

Realizing  that  the  Union  cavalry  was  massing 
on  the  north  side  of  the  defile,  the  Confederate 
commander  endeavored  to  bring  up  the  balance 
of  the  two  companies  from  the  opposite  side. 
But  the  descent  from  the  rocks  on  one  side  and 
the  ascent  on  the  other  took  time,  and  just  now 
every  moment  was  precious. 

Deck  did  not  "let  the  grass  grow  under  his 
feet."  The  first  battalion  went  ahead  on  the 
double-quick,  and  soon  a  fierce  hand-to-hand 
encounter  was  under  way  among  the  rocks.  A 
dozen  cavalrymen  were  wounded,  and  the  Con- 
federates fell  back  to  a  point  midway  between 
the  defile  and  the  highway. 

Those  Confederates  who  had  gone  down  into 
the  cut  were  now  trying  to  gain  the  heights 
where  the  fighting  was  going  on.  But  Deck 
was  ready  for  them,  and  sent  Major  Belthorpe 
to  the  edge  of  the  defile  with  two  companies  of 
the  second  battalion  and  Artie  Lyon's  company 
of  the  first.  They  fired  directly  down  upon 
the  heads  of  the  Confederates,  and  in  less  than 


266  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

five  minutes  had  tlie  enemy  retreating  in  the 
wildest  confusion. 

Deck  had  swung  his  three  companies  around, 
so  that  they  had  their  backs  to  the  defile.  He 
could  hear  the  sharpshooters  pushing  the  enemy 
through  the  woods  toward  him.  Presently  the 
Confederates  appeared,  and  the  whole  company 
which  had  occupied  this  ground  originally  was 
surrounded.  Ten  men  were  killed  and  an  equal 
number  wounded,  and  then  the  officer  in  com- 
mand, a  lieutenant,  held  up  his  sword,  hilt  first, 
to  which  was  tied  a  white  handkerchief ;  and 
the  battle  in  that  vicinity  came  to  an  end. 

As  soon  as  the  company,  or  what  was  left  of 
it,  surrendered.  Deck  sent  a  battalion  and  a  half 
after  those  who  were  fleeing.  But  the  Confed- 
erates were  filled  with  terror,  thinking  the 
reenforcements  had  surely  come,  with  sharp- 
shooters in  advance,  and  they  continued  to 
retreat  at  the  full  speed  of  their  horses.  They 
were  pursued  for  half  a  mile,  and  then  the  chase 
was  given  up. 

An  examination  proved  that  the  Riverlawns 
had  lost  eight  men  in  killed  and  wounded,  and 
the    Confederates    had    lost    nearly    twice    that 


MAJOR    LYON    WINS    A   BATTLE  267 

number.  Fifteen  of  the  enemy  had  been  cap- 
tured, including  an  officer  who  said  he  had 
once  practised  as  a  surgeon.  To  his  care  were 
consigned  all  the  wounded  Confederates,  who 
were,  later  on,  carried  to  a  farmhouse  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  away.  The  wounded  of  the  River- 
lawns  were  turned  over  to  Doctor  Farnwright, 
the  regular  surgeon  of  the  regiment,  and  the 
dead  were  buried  with  proper  ceremonies  at  the 
spot  where  they  had  fallen. 

"  You  did  the  trick.  Major  !  "  cried  Tom  Bel- 
thorpe,  after  it  was  all  over.  "  It  was  one  of 
the  neatest  moves  I  ever  saw  !  " 

"  It  saved  our  goose  from  being  cooked," 
laughed  Deck.  He  felt  that  he  could  afford  to 
be  light-hearted  now. 

"  That's  so,  —  I  was  too  hasty  in  what  I  said," 
answered  Kate  Belthorpe's  brother.  "  But  what 
horse  is  that  you  are  riding  ? " 

"  One  taken  from  the  enemy,  Tom." 

"And  where  is  Ceph?" 

"Gone." 

"Dead?" 

"No,  somebody  stole  him  while  I  was  up  in  a 
tree  looking  over  the  situation." 


268  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION  t 

"That's  too  bad,  I  know  you  set  a  store  by 
that  horse." 

"  I  wouldn't  lose  him  for  a  thousand  dollars, 
—  no,  not  for  five  times  that  amount,"  replied 
the  young  major,  earnestly. 

And  Deck  meant  what  he  said.  To  him  the 
loss  of  faithful  Ceph  meant  more  than  any  of 
his  comrades  in  arms  could  understand.  He 
wondered  if  he  should  ever  set  eyes  on  the 
noble  animal  again. 


CHAPTER   XXI 

CROSSING   THE   TENNESSEE   EIVER 

Twenty-four  hours  after  the  affair  described 
in  the  last  chapter,  the  Riverlawns  rode  into 
Huntsville,  bringing  with  them  their  last  prison- 
ers and  their  horses.  They  found  that  the  larger 
portion  of  the  Union  cavalry  had  already  arrived, 
and  prisoners,  horses,  and  negroes  ready  to  flee  to 
the  North,  were  numerous. 

-  "You  have  done  remarkably  well.  Major  Lyon," 
said  the  general  in  command,  on  receiving  Deck's 
report.  "  I  doubt  if  any  of  our  forces  have  done 
better,"  and  with  this  compliment  the  youthful 
commander  was  dismissed. 

The  stop  in  Huntsville  did  not  last  long,  some 
of  the  cavalry  leaving  on  the  same  night  that 
the  Riverlawns  came  in.  By  a  pre-arranged  plan 
the  Union  forces  spread  out  into  a  large  semi- 
circle when  on  their  way  northward,  and  they 
came  home  with  about  three  hundred  prisoners, 
sixteen  hundred  horses  and  mules,  and  a  thou- 
269 


270  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

sand  head  of  cattle,  sheep,  and  pigs.  On  the 
return,  the  Riverlawns  encountered  but  one  body 
of  the  enemy,  less  than  fifteen  in  number,  and 
these  fled  at  the  first  sight  of  the  Unionists. 
About  six  hundred  negroes  joined  the  army  on 
its  northward  movement,  and  thus  escaped  to 
the  free  States,  much  to  their  own  satisfaction. 

General  Bragg,  accompanied  by  Wheeler's  cav- 
alry force,  had  escaped  to  Chattanooga,  and  it 
was  thought  by  some  that  General  Rosecrans 
ought  to  pursue  the  enemy  without  delay.  But 
there  were  great  difficulties  in  the  way.  The 
enemy  had  torn  up  the  railroads,  the  Army  of 
the  Cumberland,  despite  such  raids  as  the  one 
just  mentioned,  was  short  of  rations  and  forage, 
and  the  commanding  general  felt  that  he  must 
have  support  for  his  flanks  ere  braving  the  river 
and  the  mountain  gaps,  which  he  felt  the  Con- 
federates would  hold  as  long  as  possible. 

To  thoroughly  understand  the  situation,  the 
reader  must  remember  that  between  the  Union 
army  and  Chattanooga  lay  the  lofty  Cumberland 
Mountains,  washed  on  either  side  by  the  waters 
of  the  Elk  and  the  Tennessee  rivers.  To  the 
northward  the  mountains  were   rugged   and  but 


CROSSING   THE   TENNESSEE   RIVER  271 

poorly  wooded ;  to  the  southward  they  were 
partly  broken  up  by  the  Sequatchie  River,  flow- 
ing through  the  valley  of  that  name,  nearly  fifty 
miles  long,  a  valley  much  broken  in  spots. 

Behind  this  great  barrier  Bragg  felt,  for  a 
time  at  least,  safe,  and  he  utilized  each  hour  in 
adding  to  his  troops,  men  being  forced  into  the 
Southern  army  wherever  and  whenever  they 
could  be  found.  The  soldiers  were  poorly 
clothed  and  scantily  fed,  and  some  of  the  cav- 
alry were  mounted  on  mules.  The  firearms  were 
of  various  sorts,  English  and  Belgian  weapons 
being  quite  common. 

It  was  not  until  the  16tli  of  August  that  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland  began  that  momentous 
advance  which  will  ever  be  remembered  in 
the  annals  of  history.  In  the  meantime,  rail- 
roads had  been  repaired,  the  artillery  had  been 
equipped  with  extra  heavy  harness  for  the  horses, 
boats  on  the  rivers  had  been  put  in  good  condi- 
tion, and,  equally  important,  the  corn  had  ripened 
in  sunny  spots  and  been  gathered  in  by  the  army 
quartermasters.  The  loss  of  their  crop  of  corn 
caused  many  a  heartburning  among  the  farmers 
of  this  section  of  our  country,  but  the  confisca- 


272  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

tion  was  one  of  actual  necessity  ;  and,  wherever 
such  a  course  seemed  just,  payments  were  made 
for  what  was  taken. 

Twice  had  Rosecrans  defeated  the  enemy  by 
turning  his  flank.  Now,  with  the  mountains 
between  himself  and  Bragg's  front,  there  seemed 
nothing  to  do  but  to  try  the  trick  again.  But 
the  movement  must  be  well  planned  and  well 
executed,  or  the  enemy  would  immediately  be- 
come aware  of  what  was  going  on,  and  make  a 
move  that  would  upset  all  the  Union  com- 
mander's calculations. 

As  has  been  said,  the  mountains  to  the  north- 
ward were  high  and  rugged  ;  to  the  southward, 
they  were  broken  up  by  a  long  valley,  a  river, 
and  several  small  creeks.  To  turn  the  enemy's 
right  would,  therefore,  require  a  long  and  ardu- 
ous journey  through  a  country  almost  barren. 
Rosecrans  resolved  to  make  his  real  movement 
to  the  left ;  that  is,  to  the  southward  of  Chat- 
tanooga. And  the  first  act  in  the  great  drama 
was  to  hoodwink  Bragg  into  believing  that  he 
was  coming  around  by  the  mountain  paths  to 
the  north. 

Carrying  with   them   ammunition   enough   for 


CROSSING    THE    TENNESSEE    RIVER  273 

two  great  battles,  and  rations  for  twenty-five 
days,  the  forward  movement  began  by  throwing 
Crittenden's  corps  over  the  Cumberland  Moun- 
tains and  Walden's  Ridge  into  the  Tennessee 
Valley,  directly  opposite  and  to  the  north  of 
Chattanooga.  The  corps  moved  from  Hillsboro, 
Manchester,  and  McMinnville,  and  when  in  the 
Tennessee  Valley  were  joined  by  Wilder's  bri- 
gade of  mounted  infantry,  —  a  portion  of  the 
fourteenth  corps.  To  these  bodies  were  added 
Minty's  cavalry,  which,  riding  on  the  left, 
through  Sparta  and  Pikeville,  operated  along 
the  river  for  twenty-eight  miles  above  Blythe's 
Ferry. 

The  boys  in  blue  were  bound  to  deceive  the 
enemy  if  the  thing  could  be  done,  and  at  night 
immense  camp-fires  were  lighted  for  miles  along 
the  river  front,  always  in  front  and  to  the 
north  of  Chattanooga.  Foot-soldiers  and  cav- 
alry showed  themselves  first  at  one  place  and 
then  another,  and  at  night  bugle-calls  sounded 
out  in  spots  where  no  cavalry  had  yet  been  or 
was  likely  to  be.  On  the  river  bank,  trees  were 
cut  down  and  sawed  up,  the  ends  being  left  to 
float   down   the   stream,   to   give   the  enemy  the 


274  AN  UNDIVIDED   UNION  , 

impression  that  extensive  bridge-building  was 
on  the  way.  One  detachment  climbed  up  a 
near-by  ridge,  and  with  its  battery  threw  shells 
toward  the  city,  —  something  that  made  the  in- 
habitants imagine  that  the  final  contest  was  now 
at  hand. 

And  while  all  this  was  going  on,  the  main 
portion  of  the  Union  forces  had  crossed  the 
Cumberland  Mountains  thirty  odd  miles  below, 
and  were  gathering  on  the  bank  of  the  Tennes- 
see River.  A  train  had  come  in,  bringing  on  it 
a  pontoon-bridge  which  was  to  be  thrown  across 
the  stream  at  Caperton.  The  train  was  stopped 
in  the  woods,  and  the  boats  and  planking  were 
hurried  forward  in  secret. 

While  the  sun  was  still  rising  on  the  29th  of 
August,  fifty  boats,  with  a  capacity  of  twenty- 
five  hundred  men,  were  taken  across  the  open 
fields  of  Caperton,  launched,  and  rowed  to  the 
south  shore  of  the  Tennessee.  The  picket  guard 
of  the  enemy  was  driven  away,  and  soon  the 
pontoon-bridge  was  in  position.  Immediately 
upon  the  completion  of  the  work,  Davis's  divi- 
sion crossed  and  went  into  camp  at  the  base  of 
Raccoon  Mountain.     In  three  days  his   division, 


CROSSING   THE   TENNESSEE   RIVER  275 

with  Johnston's,  had  marched  across  the  range, 
and  forty-eight  hours  later  these  troops  estab- 
lished themselves  at  Winston's  Pass  over  Look- 
out Mountain,  within  forty-two  miles  of  Bragg's 
stronghold.  The  same  day  Stanley's  cavalry, under 
General  Mitchell,  crossed  Lookout,  and  on  the 
week  following  descended  into  Broomtown  Valley. 

The  march  of  the  army  was  now  well  under  way, 
and  Thomas's  corps  and  the  other  troops  came 
along  at  various  points,  covering  the  ground  as 
rapidly  as  the  nature  of  the  territory  permitted. 
It  was  felt  that  General  Bragg  must  know  by  this 
time  what  was  going  on,  and  strict  watch  was 
kept  all  along  the  line  to  prevent  a  surprise. 

The  laying  of  the  pontoon-bridge  was  to  Major 
Deck  Lyon  and  his  brother.  Captain  Artie,  a 
good  deal  of  a  novelty,  and  the  Riverlawns  as- 
sisted in  carrying  more  than  one  boat  down  to 
the  rushing  waters  of  the  Tennessee.  Once  the 
boats  were  strung  from  shore  to  shore,  it  was  no 
easy  matter  to  link  them  together,  or  to  get  the 
planking  down  even  after  they  were  linked,  but 
all  hands  worked  bravely,  despite  the  occasional 
shots  from  the  Confederate  pickets  fleeing  from 
the  neighborhood. 


276  AN  UNDIVIDED   UNION 

The  Riverlawns  crossed  the  bridge  in  safety, 
all  but  two  men,  a  private  of  the  sixth  company, 
who  quickly  swam  his  horse,  ashore,  and  Sandy 
Lyon.  Sandy  had  a  spirited  horse,  and  was  ad- 
vised to  lead  him  over  ;  but  the  lieutenant  insisted 
on  riding,  and  when  the  middle  of  the  bridge 
was  reached,  his  horse  shied,  and  Sandy  slid  over- 
board like  a  flash.  He  went  down,  to  come  up  at 
a  point  fifty  feet  down  the  turbulent  stream. 

"  Help  !  help  !  "  he  yelled,  as  soon  as  he  could 
eject  the  water  from  his  mouth.  "  Some  of  you 
fellows  haul  me  out !  " 

"  Can't  you. swim  ?  "  asked  several,  unwilling  to 
endure  a  wetting  if  it  was  not  necessary. 

"  I  can't  swim  much  —  ain't  swum  in  five 
years,"  came  in  a  gasp,  "  and  this  clothing  weighs 
a  ton  !  " 

Artie  Lyon  had  seen  Sandy  go  overboard,  and 
now  he  drew  his  uncle's  attention  to  the  scene. 
Titus  was  ver}^  much  excited  on  the  instant. 
"  Save  Sandy  —  save  my  boy  !  "  he  cried,  and  he 
tried  to  leap  overboard,  but  Artie  hauled  him 
back. 

"  You  can't  swim,  can  you  ?  "  asked  the  captain. 

"  No  —  but —  I  don't  want  Sandy  to  drown  !  " 


CROSSING    THE    TENNESSEE    RIVER  277 

panted  Titus  Lyon.  "I've  lost  one  son  already 
in  this  war  !  " 

"  There  is  a  boat  —  Fll  get  that  and  go  after 
Sandy,"  answered  Artie.  "You  stay  here  ;'-' and 
he  motioned  for  two  cavalrymen  standing  near 
to  hold  Titus  and  thus  prevent  him  from  throw- 
ing himself  into  the  rushing  element. 

The  boat  was  a  flat-bottomed  affair,  owned  by 
an  old  fisherman  of  Caperton.  The  oars  were 
handy,  and  Artie  was  soon  on  a  seat  in  the  craft. 
As  he  pushed  off  Life  Knox  leaped  in  beside  him. 

"  Reckon  two  rowers  are  better  nor  one,"  said 
the  tall  Kentuekian,  and  without  a  word  Artie 
tossed  him  an  oar.  Soon  the  boat  was  making 
good  headway  down  the  stream  in  the  direction 
in  which  Sandy's  head  could  be  seen  bobbing  up 
and  down. 

"  Help  me  !  "  he  cried  again.  "  I'm  played 
out !  " 

"  Keep  up  a  little  longer,  —  we  are  coming," 
replied  Artie,  encouragingly. 

"  I  can't  keep  up  —  something  is  fast  to  my 
foo  — "  And  the  words  ended  in  a  gurgle,  as 
Sandy  suddenly  disappeared. 

"  Why,  what  can  this  mean  ?  "  asked  the  young 


278  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

captain.  "  Has  he  caught  his  spurs  into  each 
other  ? " 

"  More  than  likely  he  got  tangled  up  in  one  of 
those  boat  chains,"  remarked  Life  Knox.  "  I 
noticed  the  chains  hanging  around  when  the 
bridge  was  put  down." 

"Then  they'll  take  him  to  the  bottom,  sure," 
said  Artie,  and  grew  more  anxious  than  ever 
for  his  cousin's  safety. 

The  disappearance  of  Sandy  had  been  noticed 
from  the  bridge  and  from  both  shores,  and  now 
several  small  boats  put  out.  Titus  Lyon  broke 
away  from  those  who  held  him  and  went  over- 
board with  a  loud  splash,  and  two  minutes  later  a 
boat  picked  him  up,  more  dead  than  alive. 

When  Artie  and  Life  reached  the  spot  where 
Sandy  had  disappeared,  nothing  was  to  be  seen  of 
the  young  lieutenant,  and  a  blank  look  seized 
upon  the  faces  of  the  would-be  rescuers.  Sud- 
denly, however,  the  tall  Kentuckian  gave  a  leap 
to  the  stern. 

"  There  he  is  !  "  he  shouted. 

"  Where  ?  " 

"Under  water  several  feet.  He  is  going 
down  !  " 


CROSSING   THE   TENNESSEE   RIVER  279 

As  Life  spoke  he  threw  off  his  coat  and  hat, 
his  boots  followed, — in  a  moment  he  slipped  over- 
board. 

The  boat  had  now  swung  around  with  the  cur- 
rent, and  Artie  had  his  hands  full  bringing  her 
up  to  the  proper  position  and  holding  her  there. 
Artie's  heart  was  in  his  throat.  Poor  Orly  Lyon 
had  been  shot  down  in  battle,  and  now,  if  Sandy 
was  also  lost,  what  would  his  Uncle  Titus  and  his 
kind-hearted  Aunt  Susan  do  ? 

"  Oh,  I  do  hope  Life  brings  him  up  !  "  he 
thought,  when  the  head  of  the  Kentuckian  ap- 
peared, dripping  with  water.  Life  supported 
Sandy  in  his  arms,  and  Artie  brought  the  flat- 
boat  up  close.  In  a  moment  Sandy  was  laid  on 
the  seat  and  the  captain  of  the  seventh  company 
clambered  in. 

The  eyes  of  the  lieutenant  were  closed,  and 
Artie  could  not  tell  whether  he  was  dead  or  other- 
wise.    "  Is  it  —  it  all  right  ?  "  he  faltered. 

"  I  hope  so,  Artie.  He  had  his  ankle  caught 
in  a  chain  just  as  I  supposed.  It  was  hard  work 
releasing  him,  1  can  tell  you.  Let  us  get  to  shore 
just  as  fast  as  we  can." 

Artie  needed  no  urging  to  do  this,  and   soon 


280  AN  UNDIVIDED   UNION  * 

the  flatboat  grounded  on  the  south  bank  of  the 
river,  and  willing  hands  carried  Sandy  to  a  grassy 
bank  where  he  was  rolled  and  worked  over,  until 
the  water  came  out  of  him,  and  he  gave  a  gasp. 

"  He's  all  right  now,"  said  Life,  drawing  a  long 
breath." 

"  Yes,  and  I'm  mighty  glad  of  it,"  murmured 
Artie. 

Surgeon  Farnwright  then  took  charge  of  the 
case,  but  Sandy  scarcely  needed  him.  Bj^  morn- 
ing the  lieutenant  was  as  hearty  as  ever,  although 
a  bit  "  shaky  "  as  he  expressed  it. 

"  I  won't  forget  you,"  he  said,  squeezing  Life 
Knox's  hand.     "  You're  a  brick  !  " 

Titus  Lyon  was  even  more  affected.  "  I've  lost 
Orly,"  he  said,  in  a  husky  voice,  "  I  couldn't  afford 
to  lose  Sandy,  nohow.  We  ain't  been  very  much 
of  friends  in  the  past.  Captain  Knox,  but  I  hope 
we  will  be  in  the  future  —  leas' wise,  I'll  be  your 
friend,  through  thick  and  thin." 

And  the  adjutant  of  the  Riverlawns  kept  his 
word. 


CHAPTER   XXII 

THE   SIGNALS    IN    THE   DARK 

The  Tennessee  River  passed,  the  Riverlawns, 
with  the  other  cavalry,  preceded  the  Twentieth 
Army  Corps  to  Winston's  Gap,  not  far  from  Valley 
Head,  at  the  base  of  Lookout  Mountain,  and  some 
thirty-five  miles  south  of  Chattanooga.  At  the 
same  time  the  other  troops  came  over  Sand  and 
Raccoon  mountains,  and  through  various  gaps, 
until,  on  the  6th  of  September,  the  army  lay  along 
the  base  of  Lookout,  from  Valley  Head,  just 
mentioned,  northward  to  Wauhatchee,  several 
miles  above  Chattanooga. 

The  passage  of  Sand  Mountain  was  a  trying 
one,  never  to  be  forgotten  by  about  half  of  Cap- 
tain Abbey's  company,  who  were  riding  in 
advance  of  the  regular  body  of  cavalry.  The 
Engineering  Corps  had  had  the  roads  repaired, 
but  the  ascent  was  steep,  and  in  certain  spots  the 
trail  was  but  wide  enough  for  one  horseman  to 
pass  at  a  time.  The  provisions  were  brought 
281 


282  AN    UNDIVIDED   UNION 

along  on  pack  mules,  and  the  artillery  had  to  take 
a  roundabout  route  twelve  miles  longer. 

Captain  Abbey  was  at  the  head  of  his  men,  and 
several  hundred  feet  in  advance  of  any  other 
body  of  cavalry,  when,  without  warning,  thirty- 
two  of  the  Riverlawns  were  caught  on  a  mountain 
trail  not  over  six  feet  broad,  having  on  one  side  a 
wall  or  cliff  nearly  a  hundred  feet  high,  and  on 
the  other  a  sheer  descent  of  twice  that  number  of 
feet  into  a  hollow  filled  with  jagged  rocks. 

The  accident  which  brought  this  condition  of 
affairs  about  was  in  reality  as  simple  as  it  was 
serious.  The  trail  wound  around  the  mountain 
in  the  shape  of  a  horseshoe,  and  the  cavalrymen 
were  journeying  slowly  along  at  the  bottom  of  the 
curve,  when  some  rocks  and  sand  far  above  them 
began  to  slide  down.  The  rumble  was  heard  in 
time  to  allow  the  riders  to  escape  the  landslide, 
but  immediately  the  trail  before  and  behind  them 
was  choked  up  with  boulders  and  sand  to  the 
height,  or  depth,  of  fifteen  feet  or  more. 

It  cannot  be  denied  that  the  members  of  the 
first  company  who  were  thus  caught  were  greatly 
alarmed.  Second  Lieutenant  Burton  was  with 
Captain  Abbey,  and  he  yelled  out  that  the  moun- 


THE  SIGNALS   IN   THE   DARK  283 

tain  was  coming  down.  For  several  minutes  a 
score  of  cries  and  yells  filled  the  air,  but  gradually 
these  died  away,  and  when  the  landslide  stopped, 
and  the  dust  had  rolled  away,  the  cavalrymen 
looked  about  them  to  see  what  damage  had  been 
done. 

"Nobody  hurt,"  announced  Captain  Abbey. 
"  That  was  the  most  fortunate  landslide  I  ever 
saw." 

"We'll  have  to  go  back,"  said  Lieutenant  Bur- 
ton, who  had  surveyed  the  disaster  ahead.  "  We 
can't  climb  over  that  mass  of  rocks,  —  it  wouldn't 
be  safe." 

"  I'd  like  to  know  how  we  are  going  back,"  put 
in  one  of  the  sergeants.  "  We  are  blocked  in  the 
rear  as  well  as  in  front.  That  stuff  came  from  the 
top  of  yonder  ridge,  and  half  of  it  slid  down  on 
this  side  of  the  curve  and  half  on  the  other.  We 
are  hemmed  in." 

This  announcement  made  all  feel  very  uneasy, 
and  more  than  one  cavalryman  turned  slightly 
pale.  If  they  couldn't  advance  or  retreat  what 
were  they  to  do? 

"  Let  us  make  a  careful  investigation  of  our 
condition   first,"   said    Captain   Abbey,  who   was 


284  AN    UNDIVIDED   UNION 

as  calm  as  anybody  in  the  detachment.  "  If  we 
can  do  nothing  better,  we  can  clear  that  rubbish 
ofe  the  trail." 

At   this    Lieutenant    Burton   shook   his    head. 

"That  would  be  a  dangerous  undertaking, 
Captain.  When  rocks  and  sand  once  begin  to 
slide  there   is  no   telling  when   they  will  stop." 

"  But  this  stuff  can  only  slide  into  the  valley 
below.  Burton." 

"  This  stuff  can,  that's  true ;  but  it  may 
bring  down  ten  times  as  much  on  our  heads." 

At  this  Captain  Abbey  shrugged  his  shoul- 
ders. "  Well,  we'll  investigate  first  and  lay 
plans  afterward.  We  can't  stay  here  forever. 
In  a  couple  of  hours  more  it  will  be  dark." 

A  cry  now  arose  from  other  portions  of  the 
trail,  front  and  back,  asking  if  anybody  had 
been  hurt.  The  answer  was  reassuring :  and 
then  the  captain  began  looking  over  the  ground, 
moving  cautiously  around  on  foot,  followed  by 
the  lieutenant  and  the  sergeant.  As  the  trail 
was  so  narrow,  the  other  cavalrymen  remained 
where  they  were,  continually  on  the  watch  to 
see  if  more  of  the  ridge  above  was  liable  to 
break  away. 


THE    SIGNALS    IN    THE   DARK  285 

There  was  no  doubt  but  that  the  platoon  was 
in  a  "tight  fix,"  to  use  Lieutenant  Burton's 
way  of  expressing  it.  The  boulders  in  the 
pathway  were  four  and  five  feet  in  diameter, 
and  several  of  them  were  wedged  together,  all 
covered  with  sand  and  a  sort  of  shell-rock. 
The  blockade  in  the  front  was  as  bad  as  that 
in  the  rear ;  indeed,  there  seemed  to  be  no 
choice  between  the  two. 

"  Well,  we're  treed,"  remarked  the  lieutenant. 

"  I  should  say  we  were  shelved,"  answered 
the  captain,  with  a  faint  smile. 

"  We're  in  a  bad  box,"  added  the  sergeant. 
"What's  to  do?" 

"  I  think  we  might  tackle  that  blockade  in 
the  rear,  and  thus  open  the  way  to  join  the  rest 
of  the  regiment.  Then,  if  Colonel  Lyon  says 
so,  we'll  clear  the  blockade  ahead."  The  cap- 
tain spoke  thus  of  Colonel  Lyon,  for  that  officer 
once  more  occupied  his  position  with  the  River- 
lawns,  having  just  about  recovered,  but  no  more. 

With  extreme  caution  Captain  Abbey  ad- 
vanced to  the  landslide  in  the  rear,  and  man- 
aged, with  his  lieutenant's  aid,  to  reach  the 
ground  just  above  the  blockade.     It  was  shaky 


286  AN    UNDIVIDED   UNION 

and  uncertain,  and  he  sank  into  the  sand  up 
to  his  ankles. 

"  If  we  had  a  lever  of  some  sort  we  might 
pry  those  rocks  over  the  edge  of  the  cliff,"  he 
observed.  "  I  don't  believe  much  more  would 
come  down  outside  of  sand  and  small  stones, 
and  that  we  could  shovel  away.  Let  us  try  to 
find  a  pole,  or  —  Hullo,  Major ! "  he  added, 
suddenly,  "  how  did  you  get  here  ?  " 

"  Climbed  up  from  the  other  side  of  the 
fallen  mass,"  answered  Major  Deck  Lyon,  for 
the  new  arrival  was  he.  "  Here's  a  pretty  how- 
do-you-do,   eh?" 

"  That's  right.  Major.  I  was  just  saying  we 
might  pry  these  rocks  off  with  a  heavy  pole,  if 
we  had  the  pole." 

"  I  thought  as  much.  Captain,  and  have  al- 
ready sent  back  for  the  heaviest  wagon  pole 
the  train  possesses,"  responded  Deck.  "It  will 
be  here  as  soon  as  the  boys  can  bring  it  up. 
The  problem  will  be,  can  we  get  enough  strength 
on  one  end  of  the  lever  to  move  the  weight  at 
the  other  end  ?  " 

"  The  boys  are  strong,  if  only  they  can  get 
a  hold." 


THE   SIGNALS   IN   THE   DARK  287 

"  But  they  may  not  be  able  to  get  a  hold,  — 
in  which  case  we'll  have  to  try  some  other  plan. 
To  be  sure,  the  men  might  climb  back  in 
this  direction,  but  that  won't  be  saving  the 
horses,  or  opening  the  trail  again,"  concluded 
Deck. 

The  problem  on  foot  interested  him,  and  as 
soon  as  the  heavy  wagon  pole  put  into  appear- 
ance he  had  it  slid  up  on  the  rocks,  and  one 
end  was  inserted  between  the  largest  of  the 
boulders,  and  that  next  to  it.  The  major,  cap- 
tain, and  sergeant  tugged  with  might  and  main, 
but  the  upper  stone  did  not  budge,  and  it  looked 
as  if  ten  men  could  not  do  the  work. 

"I  reckon  that  rock  is  there  to  stay,"  re- 
marked Captain  Abbey,  as  he  wiped  the  per- 
spiration from  his  face.  "  This  is  nigger's  work ; 
and  I'm  done." 

Deck  studied  the  problem  for  a  moment. 
"  Well,  '  as  the  mountain  wouldn't  come  to 
Mahomet,  Mahomet  went  to  the  mountain,' "  he 
quoted.  "As  this  rock  refuses  to  budge,  I  don't 
know  but  that  it  is  solid  enough  to  remain  where 
it  is,  and  we  can  fix  up  a  trail  right  over  it." 

"  By  Jove  !    that's  so  !  "  cried  Captain  Abbey. 


288  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

"  It's  fairly  flat  on  top.  All  we  need  is  a  slope 
from  the  front  and  the  back." 

A  number  of  men  were  now  called  forward, 
and  under  Deck's  directions  the  upper  surface 
of  the  landslide  was  cleared  away.  Everything 
in  the  shape  of  a  flat  stone  was  placed  before 
and  behind  the  big  rock,  and  the  sand  and  fine 
shell-rock  was  shovelled  into  the  cracks  between. 
Inside  of  an  hour,  a  new  footwa}^  was  formed  at 
the  spot,  rising  five  feet  in  the  centre  and  sloping 
off  fifteen  feet  in  either  direction.  It  was  made 
easy  for  the  horses,  and  the  animals  went  over 
it  without  hesitation. 

In  the  meantime  the  other  obstruction  had  been 
attacked  by  another  body  of  workers.  Here  the 
heavy  pole  came  into  good  play,  and  rock  after 
rock  was  sent  tumbling  into  the  valley  below. 
The  sand  was  shovelled  after  it,  and  by  the  time 
the  rear  obstruction  was  taken  care  of,  the  other 
was  likewise  a  thing  of  the  past. 

"  You  had  better  join  the  Engineering  Corps, 
Dexter,"  remarked  Colonel  Lyon,  as  he  came 
up,  having  been  to  the  rear  in  consultation  with 
the  commander  of  the  cavalry  forces. 

"  It  was  a  work  of  necessity,  father,"  answered 


THE   SIGNALS   IN   THE   DARK  289 

the  major.  "  The  platoon  of  the  first  company 
was  stuck,  and  it  would  never  have  done  to  have 
abandoned  those  horses.  We  haven't  a  single 
animal  to  spare,  even  though  we  did  round  up 
those  others  in  Alabama." 

"I  know  we  haven't  any  to  spare,  Dexter. 
By  the  way,  how  do  you  like  that  black  charger 
you  have  chosen  ?  " 

"  Oh,  he  seems  to  be  all  right.  But  he  isn't 
Ceph,  —  not  by  a  good  deal." 

"No,  you  won't  find  one  horse  in  a  thousand 
like  Ceph,  my  son.  I'm  afraid  the  loss  of  that 
noble  animal  will  handicap  you  in  making  those 
famous  leaps  on  the  heads  of  Confederate  officers, 
such  as  you  have  made  in  the  past." 

"No,  this  horse  would  never  do  such  work  — 
I  wouldn't  dare  to  try  him,"  answered  the  major. 
"  He  is  of  ordinary  intelligence,  and  of  good 
speed  and  endurance ;  and  that  is  all  I  can  say 
of  him." 

"I  have  just  been  in  consultation  with  the 
general  commanding,"  went  on  Colonel  Lyon, 
after  a  pause.  "  He  wishes  a  special  piece  of 
work  done,  and  says  he  would  like  Major  Dexter 
Lyon  to  do  it." 


290  AN    UNDIVIDED   UNION 

"  I  am  ready,  sir.     What  is  the  work  ?  " 

"As  you  know,  we  are  to  move  up  to  Win- 
ston's Gap.  The  general  imagines  a  detachment 
of  Wheeler's  cavalry  is  located  somewhere  at 
this  side  of  the  Gap,  or  near  Valley  Head, 
strongly  intrenched,  to  take  us  unaware.  You 
are  to  learn  the  truth  of  the  situation." 

"I  will  do  my  best." 

"  It  was  agreed  between  us  that  you  should 
take  a  detachment  of  six  men  with  you,  and 
one  of  the  number  was  to  be  Captain  Knox." 

"That  just  suits  me." 

"The  other  men  are  to  be  sharpshooters  from 
Captain's  Knox's  company." 

"That  will  also  be  satisfactory." 

"  Before  you  go  you  are  to  come  to  the  gen- 
eral for  instructions.  He  is  just  below  here,  at 
the  Knob,  as  it  is  called.  You  must  remember 
passing  the  spot." 

"Yes,  I  remember,"  answered  Deck. 

It  was  supper  time,  but  the  major  did  not 
wait  for  the  meal.  Calling  a  negro  orderly 
aside,  he  procured  a  bite  and  a  strong  cup  of 
coffee,  and  having  swallowed  both,  set  off  on  a 
gallop. 


THE    SIGNALS    IN    THE    DARK  291 

The  conference  with  General  Mitchell  occu- 
pied the  best  part  of  quarter  of  an  hour.  Deck 
was  instructed  to  take  the  road  leading  to  the 
headwaters  of  Town  Creek,  to  the  northwest 
of  Valley  Head.  He  was  to  pass  over  the  creek 
or  around  it,  and  note  with  care  all  of  the  ap- 
proaches to  Lookout  Mountain  in  that  vicinity. 
The  mission  might  prove  dangerous,  and  the 
sharpshooters  were  to  do  their  best  to  avoid  a 
capture  by  the  enemy,  should  the  Confederates 
develop  in  force  and  surprise  them. 

With  these  instructions  well  understood,  Deck 
returned  to  the  Riverlawns  and  summoned  Life. 
The  selection  of  the  five  sharpshooters  was  left 
to  the  tall  Kentuckian,  and  it  is  needless  to  state 
that  the  captain  picked  out  the  most  able  fel- 
lows his  company  afforded.  The  horses  had 
already  been  watered  and  groomed,  and  the  men 
had  had  supper ;  so  after  Deck's  own  steed  was 
cared  for,  they  set  off,  the  major  and  the  cap- 
tain side  by  side,  and  the  sharpshooters  by 
column  of  twos  in  the  rear. 

At  about  eight  o'clock  the  mountain  was 
passed,  and  the  seven  cavalrymen  found  them- 
selves  in  a  small   valley,  with   rocks   upon   one 


292  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

side,  and  a  woods  backed  up  by  a  small  creek 
on  the  other.  The  trail  lay  along  the  bank  of 
the  creek,  and  was  easy  to  follow,  even  in  the 
gathering  darkness. 

"  How  long  do  you  propose  to  travel  —  all 
night  ?  "  asked  Life,  presently. 

"  That  will  depend  upon  circumstances," 
answered  Deck.  "  We  may  as  well  push  along 
while  the  trail  is  as  clear  as  it  is  here." 

"  But  we  can't  locate  any  enemy  in  the  dark." 

"  I  doubt  very  much  if  any  Confederates  are 
so  close  to  us.  I  was  thinking,  however,  we 
might  spot  a  camp-fire  before  midnight." 

"If  they  have  any  camp-fires." 

"  They  won't  do  without  them  in  this  fall 
weather  unless  ordered  especially  to  that  effect. 
Life.  An  Alabama  mountaineer  loves  his  camp- 
fire  almost  as  well  as  he  loves  his  moonshine 
whiskey." 

"But  the  mountaineers  are  not  exactly  what 
we  are  after,"  insisted  the  Kentuckian,  who 
wanted  to  "corner"  his  companion,  if  he  could, 
just  for  the  fun  of  it. 

"  A  mountaineer  can  tell  a  lot  of  things,  if 
you  can  make  him  talk,"  was  the  major's  signifi- 


THE   SIGNALS   IN    THE   DARK  293 

cant  response.  "  If  Wheeler's  cavalry  is  in 
this  vicinity  you  can  lay  odds  on  it  that  all 
the  inhabitants  of    this  wild    territory  know  it." 

"  Well,  I  reckon  you  are  about  right,  —  as 
you  always  are.  Deck.  If  we —  Hullo,  what's 
the  meaning  of  that  ?  " 

Life  drew  rein  suddenly,  and  pointed  toward 
the  rocky  elevation  to  one  side  of  the  trail. 
Deck  looked  in  the  direction,  but  could  make 
out  nothing  unusual. 

"  What  are  you  pointing  at.  Life  ?  " 

"  It's  gone  now.     It  was —    There  it  is  again!  " 

Deck  now  saw  that  which  had  attracted  his 
companion's  attention.  A  light  had  appeared, 
evidently  a  pine  torch.  It  was  swung  around 
in  a  circle  several  times,  then  moved  up  and 
down,  —  and  then  it  vanished  as  before. 

"  It's  a  signal.  Life  !  " 

"  They  moved  it  that  way  before,"  answered 
the  captain  of  the  seventh  company.  "  What 
can  it  mean  ?  " 

"  It  means  that  one  detachment  of  the  Con- 
federates is  signalling  to  another,"  ejaculated 
Deck.  "  Come  ahead ;  I  am  going  to  learn 
the  particulars  of  this  movement  if  I  can." 


CHAPTER   XXIII 

AN   IMPORTANT    CAPTURE   ON   THE   MOUNTAINS 

Major  Deck  Lyon  felt  certain  that  they 
had  not  only  made  a  discovery  of  importance, 
but  that  this  discovery,  if  followed  up,  would 
lead  to  something  of   still   more  value  to  know. 

He  felt,  however,  that  not  a  moment  was  to 
be  lost.  Already  the  shades  of  night  had  fallen 
across  Sand  Mountain  and  Lookout  Mountain, 
casting  deep  patches  of  gloom  among  the  several 
valleys.  In  the  darkness,  the  trail  would  be- 
come dangerous,  if  it  was  not  already  so. 

The  five  sharpshooters  were  halted,  and  the 
situation  was  explained  to  them.  Then  two 
were  sent  on  the  back  trail,  to  cover  their  rear, 
two  were  sent  up  the  creek,  one  on  either  side, 
and  the  remaining  man  accompanied  Deck  and 
Life  to  the  base  of  the  rocky  hill  from  which 
the  signal  had  been  flashed. 

"You  will  take  care  of  our  horses,  Clefton," 
294 


IMPORTANT   CAPTURE   ON    THE   MOUNTAINS      295 

said  the  major,  to  the  last  sharpshooter.  "  If 
an  enemy  appears,  keep  out  of  the  way  if  you 
can.  I  want  to  learn  just  what  is  going  on 
before  an  alarm  is  given." 

In  a  minute  more,  the  major  and  the  captain 
were  crawling  over  the  rocks  and  through  the 
brush,  directly  for  the  place  whence  the  signal- 
light  had  appeared.  No  answering  signal  had 
been  discovered,  and  Deck  concluded  that  the 
second  signal  station  was  out  of  the  range  of 
the  valley  bottom. 

The  distance  from  the  trail  to  the  spot  from 
which  the  light  had  flashed  was  calculated  by 
Life  Knox  to  be  not  over  five  hundred  yards, 
that  is,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  and  the  tall 
Kentuckian  was  not  the  man  to  make  a  mistake 
in  calculating  such  a  distance.  But  the  way 
was  rugged,  and  often  a  gully  or  a  wall  of 
rock  brought  the  pair  to  a  halt.  Yet  the  gul- 
lies were  not  so  wide  but  that  each  could  be 
covered  by  a  stiff  jump,  and  they  helped  one 
another  up  the  steep  places.  The  Kentuckian 
advanced  with  hardly  any  noise,  and  Deck  fol- 
lowed his  example,  although  not  so  familiar 
with  woodcraft. 


296  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

Three-quarters  of  the  distance  to  the  top  of 
the  rocky  hill  had  been  covered  when  each 
clutched  the  other  by  the  arm.  Both  had  made 
a  discovery,  whether  of  importance  or  not,  they 
could  not  just  then  tell.  They  had  found  three 
horses,  tethered  in  a  spot  through  which  ran  a 
trail  running  east  and  west,  diagonally  to  the 
course  they  were  pursuing. 

"  Hist,  somebody  is  coming,"  whispered  Deck, 
as  Life  started  to  speak ;  and  both  shrunk  back 
in  the  shadow  of  a  clump  of  bushes. 

They  could  hear  the  low  murmur  of  three 
voices,  and  presently  they  distinguished  three 
Confederates,  attired  in  the  uniform  of  the 
signal  corps.  Each  man  carried  a  pair  of  field- 
glasses  and  some  sort  of  an  apparatus  strapped 
to  his  back. 

"  They  are  the  fellows  we  are  after,  sure 
enough,"  whispered  Life.  "Three  to  two. 
What  shall  we  do?" 

"Wait;  and  see  to  your  pistol,"  answered  the 
major,  in  an  equally  low  voice. 

"  Captain,  what  did  you  make  that  last  signal 
out  to  mean  ? "  asked   one  of   the  Confederates. 

"It    meant    that    the    Yankees    have    crossed 


IMPORTANT   CAPTURE   ON   THE   MOUNTAINS      297 

Sand  Mountain  and  are  assembling  along  Look- 
out." 

"  But  what  of  the  cavalry  ?  " 

"They  are  on  the  extreme  right  of  their 
troops." 

"  Then  they  must  be  in  this  neighborhood. 
It's  a  good  thing  for  General  Wheeler  that  we 
have  learned  this.  I  suppose  they'll  come  close 
to  Alpine." 

"  More  than  likely  they'll  strike  right  through 
to  Summerville." 

"Then  they  mean  to  turn  our  left  if  they 
can,"  put  in  the  third  signalman,  who  had  not 
spoken  heretofore.  "  What  do  you  suppose  Gen- 
eral Bragg  will  do  ?  " 

"  He'll  come  out  of  Chattanooga  and  fight  'em, 
that's  what  he'll  do,  Simpler.  To  my  notion  it 
was  foolish  not  to  offer  them  a  fight  right  on  the 
bank  of  the  Tennessee." 

Speaking  in  this  strain,  the  three  signalmen 
turned  in  at  the  spot  where  they  had  left  their 
horses,  and  began  to  untie  the  animals.  While 
they  were  doing  this.  Life   leaned  over  to  Deck. 

"  Well  ? "  he  asked  in  a  whisper. 

"  Do  you  think  we  can  manage  them.  Life  ?  " 


298  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

"  Why  not  ?  We  have  the  drop  of  them,  if  we 
keep  behind  the  trees." 

"I  should  like  to  make  them  prisoners." 

"  Let  us  try  it ;  I  don't  think  we'll  come  off 
second  best,"  answered  the  matter-of-fact  captain 
of  the  seventh  company. 

Deck  raised  his  pistol  and  Life  did  the  same. 
"  I'll  cover  the  fellow  beside  the  white  horse," 
he  explained. 

"  Correct  ;  I'll  cover  both  of  the  others,"  was 
*  Life's  reply,  as  he  produced  another  weapon. 

The  next  moment  Deck  called  upon  the  three 
signalmen  to  surrender.  His  command  started 
the  three  very  much,  and  they  stopped  their  talk 
and  gazed  around  them  in  bewilderment. 

"  What's  that  ?  "  questioned  the  captain,  ner- 
vously. 

"  I  call  on  you  to  surrender.  Down  with  your 
arms  or  you  are  dead  men." 

"  Who  are  you  ?  " 

"  A  major  in  the  Union  army,  in  command  of  a 
detachment  of  sharpshooters,"  answered  Deck, 
telling  the  exact  truth. 

"  Stand  ready  to  fire,  boys,"  he  continued,  as  if 
addressing  a  full  company  behind  him. 


IMPORTANT   CAPTURE    ON   THE   MOUNTAINS      299 

"  We  surrender,"  said  the  leader  of  the  signal- 
men, promptly. 

"Throw  down  your  arms." 

One  after  another  the  weapons  of  the  Confeder- 
ates were  cast  away. 

"  Keep  them  well  covered,  boys,"  said  Deck, 
and  going  forward  he  gathered  the  pistols  up, 
also  the  captain's  sword. 

"  Now  march  doAvn  the  hillside  in  that  direc- 
tion," went  on  the  major  ;  "  and  no  treachery,  or 
you'll  be  dead  men  inside  of  ten  seconds."  He 
raised  his  voice.  "  Forward,  boys  !  Captain 
Knox,  take  command!  " 

"  All  right.  Major,"  answered  Knox,  gruffly. 
He  turned  around.  "  Forward,  boys,  and  keep 
them  covered,"  and  then  as  the  Confederates 
moved  off,  he  also  moved,  making  as  much  noise 
as  a  dozen  men.  The  ruse  was  completely  suc- 
cessful, even  more  so  than  it  had  been  at  the  time 
the  cannon  on  the  raft  was  captured. 

At  the  foot  of  the  hill  Clefton,  the  sharpshooter, 
was  called  up,  and  sent  to  notify  the  others.  Soon 
the  detachment  of  seven  was  assembled,  and  then 
all  surrounded  the  prisoners. 

"  You  don't  mean  to   say  this  is  all  the   men 


300  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

you  have  ? "  demanded  the  leader  of  the  signal- 
men. 

"  I  haven't  any  others  very  near,"  said  Deck. 

"  Well,  that's  the  time  I  was  fooled  for  fair.  I 
thought  you  had  a  full  company  stuck  up  there 
among  the  trees."" 

"  Are  you  prepared  to  go  along  peaceably  ? " 
asked  Deck,  to  change  the  subject. 

"  Being  unarmed,  how  can  we  help  ourselves  ?  " 

"  I  see  you  have  a  large  stock  of  common  sense, 
even  if  you  were  captured,"  said  Deck,  with  a 
laugh.  "  All  right,  you  shall  ride,  but  your  ani- 
mals must  be  chained  to  our  own,  or  they  might 
run  away  with  you  in  the  darkness." 

"  Which  means  that  we  might  try  to  run  away 
on  them." 

"I  didn't  put  it  quite  so  pointedl}^  Captain." 

"  But  you  meant  it,  nevertheless.  Well,  it's  all 
right,  — '  fortune  of  war,'  so  to  speak,  and  I 
shan't  complain.     Who  are  you  ?  " 

"Major  Deck  Lyon,  of  the  Riverlawn  Cavalry 
of  Kentucky." 

"  And  I  am  Captain  Vallingham,  of  the  South 
Carolina  volunteers,  —  now  on  detached  duty," 

"  You  seem  to  have  been  running  a  sort  of  a 
signal  station  up  there.  Captain  Vallingham." 


IMPORTANT   CAPTURE    ON   THE   MOUNTAINS      301 

"  Oh,  we  have  been  amusing  ourselves." 

"  Do  you  thmk  the  persons  who  were  signalled 
to  were  likewise  amused  ?  " 

'■'  How  do  you  know  we  were  signalling  to  any- 
body?" 

"  I  take  it  for  granted  you  didn't  wave  those 
pine  knots  to  the  stars.  You  are  too  intelligent  a 
man  to  believe  in  negro  voodooism." 

"  Perhaps  I  am  not  as  intelligent  as  you 
imagine,  Major.  Remember,  I  surrendered  when 
I  should  have  fought.  We  were  'three  to  two, 
and  it  would  have  been  a  pretty  fair  contest." 

"  But  we  had  the  drop  on  you." 

"True,  but  it  was  pretty  dark." 

"  Yes,  and  it  is  too  dark  now  to  suit  me,  Cap- 
tain.    Life,  let  us  light  up  a  bit." 

"Here  is  an  opening  in  the  brush.  Major," 
answered  the  Kentuckian,  who  imagined  he 
understood  what  the  young  commander  had  in 
mind. 

Evidently  the  leader  of  the  signalmen  also 
understood,  or  thought  he  did,  for  as  the  group 
turned  into  the  clearing  Life  had  mentioned, 
he  was  observed  by  the  watchful  major  to 
throw  a  small  note-book  over  the  bushes. 


302  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

"  Halt !  "  cried  Deck.  "  Brady,  let  me  have 
that  lantern  you  brought  along." 

The  sharpshooter  addressed  complied,  the 
lantern  was  lit,  and  the  major  began  a  hunt.  The 
note-book  lay  wide  open  on  some  short  brush,  and 
was  easily  discovered,  along  with  two  letters  be- 
side it.  With  the  articles  in  his  hand.  Deck 
returned  to  the  Confederate  signalmen. 

"  Captain  Vallingham,  I  am  sorry  to  see  you 
throw  away  your  property  in  this  fashion,"  he 
remarked. 

"  You're  altogether  too  sharp  !  "  growled  the 
signalman,  and  now  his  pleasant  manner  deserted 
him. 

"  In  order  to  prevent  you  from  throwing 
away  anything  more  of  value,  I'll  have  you 
searched.  Clefton,  go  through  the  man  from 
hat  to  boots,  and  don't  let  anything  escape 
you." 

"  Are  you  going  to  rob  me  ?  " 

"  Yes,  —  of  information,  if  any  more  is  to  be 
had." 

"  I  haven't  anything  beside  that  note-book 
and  the  two  letters.  The  letters  are  from  my 
mother,  — private  correspondence." 


IMPORTANT   CAPTURE    ON   THE   MOUNTAINS      303 

"  You  give  me  your  word  of  honor  as  a  gentle- 
man to  that  ?  " 

"I  do." 

"  Then  there  you  are,  Captain.  I  have  no 
desire  to  pry  into  your  personal  affairs.  I  am 
working  solely  in  the  interests  of  the  United 
States  of  America." 

A  flush  came  over  the  Confederate's  face,  and 
he  crammed  the  letters  into  a  pocket  Clefton 
had  just  turned  inside  out.  "  Much  obliged ;  I 
am  glad  to  learn  a  Yankee  can  still  be  a  gentle- 
man in  some  respects." 

"In  all  respects.  Captain  Vallingham.  Clef- 
ton,  anything  else  of  value  to  our  general  ?  " 

"Haven't  pulled  off  his  boots  yet,  Major." 

"Do  you  think  I  carry  the  secrets  of  the 
Confederate  army  in  my  foot-wear  ?  "  demanded 
the  captain. 

"I  am  not  thinking  ;  I  am  trying  to  find  out," 
answered  Deck,  calmly. 

"I'm  not  used  to  going  barefooted." 

"We  won't  keep  you  barefooted.  Now,  Clef- 
ton —     Ah,  what's  that?" 

For  from  the  top  of  Captain  Vallingham's 
stocking  an  edge  of  paper  had  protruded.     The 


304  AN  UNDIVIDED   UNION 

paper  was  pinned  fast,  but  easily  released,  and 
Deck  unfolded  it,  and  held  it  so  that  the  light 
of  the  lantern  might  fall  upon  it. 

"  A  map  of  this  vicinity,  and  of  the  approaches 
to  Chattanooga,"  he  said.  "  Very  good.  Life, 
here  is  where  that  other  signal  corps  was  sta- 
tioned, in  the  direction  of  Alpine.  Is  that  all, 
Clefton?" 

"  Seems  to  be.  Major  Lyon." 
"Now  examine  the  other  prisoners." 
The  order  was  carried  out  with  despatch  and 
care,  and  one  other  map  was  brought  to  light, 
along  with  an  order  from  a  member  of  General 
Wheeler's  staff,  directing  the  movements  of  the 
signalmen.  The  order  was  dated  at  Lafayette,  a 
town  about  midway  between  where  the  detach- 
ment was  now  stationed  and  Chattanooga. 

Deck  gave  the  note-book  a  scanty  inspection 
and  found  it  contained  the  signal  code  for  that 
campaign,  and  also  a  diary  of  the  work  per- 
formed. There  was  also  a  note  speaking  of  the 
forces  under  General  Wharton,  commanding  one 
division  of  Wheeler's  cavalry.  This  showed  that 
the  Confederate  cavalry  were  watching  for  Gen- 
eral Mitchell's  troops  to  the  north  of  Lafayette. 


IMPORTANT   CAPTURE    ON   THE   MOUNTAINS      305 

Shoving  the  note-book  and  maps  into  his 
pocket,  Deck  ordered  his  men  on  the  return, 
the  prisoners  to  ride  behind  himself  and  Life, 
with  the  five  sharpshooters  in  the  rear.  He  felt 
that  he  had  gained  sufficient  information  to 
warrant  his  return.  To  use  an  old  phrase, 
"  the  cat  was  out  of  the  bag,"  and  it  would  not 
be  long  before  General  Bragg  would  bring  out 
his  troops  from  Chattanooga  and  vicinity  to  do 
the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  battle. 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

OPERATIONS    IN   MCLEMOEE'S   COVE 

Captain  Vallingham  was  a  graduate'  of 
West  Point  who  had  gone  into  the  volunteer 
service  of  the  South  immediately  after  Fort 
Sumter  was  fired  upon.  He  had  attached 
himself  to  the  cavalry  at  first,  but  had  soon 
been  transferred,  by  his  own  wish,  to  the 
signal  corps. 

The  corps  as  operated  in  the  army  of  Ten- 
nessee under  General  Braxton  Bragg  was  a 
poor  one,  yet  it  did  some  excellent  work  in 
those  districts  where  travelling  from  one  hill- 
top to  another  was  slow  work,  but  where  the 
topography  was  just  right  for  sending  messages 
from  point  to  point  by  means  of  various  signal- 
ling apparatuses. 

The  captain  was  a  brave  fellow,  and  four 
years  at  our  national  military  academy  had 
"  taught  him  a  thing  or  two,"  as  old  army  offi- 
cers are  wont  to  express  it.  He  was  a  prisoner 
of  the  enemy,  but  he  did  not  intend  to  remain 
306 


OPERATIONS   IN   McLEMORE's   COVE  307 

SO  very  long,  if  he  could  help  it.  To  think 
that  he  had  been  captured  by  a  Union  officer 
much  younger  than  himself,  supported  by  onl}^ 
one  or  two  followers,  filled  him  with  chagrin, 
and  he  resolved  to  square  matters  with  Deck 
at  the  first  opportunity. 

Like  the  young  major  of  the  first  battalion, 
the  Confederate  captain  owned  a  horse  that  he 
had  trained  from  ponyhood;  but,  unlike  Deck, 
he  still  possessed  the  steed  and  was  now  riding 
him.  In  addition  to  this,  the  Confederate  offi- 
cer knew  every  foot  of  the  ground  the  whole 
party  were  now  traversing.  He  resolved  to 
make  use  of  his  knowledge  and  of  the  abilities 
of  his  horse  at  the  first  opportunity. 

The  chance  was  not  long  in  coming.  At  one 
point  in  the  trail  along  the  creek,  the  rocks 
came  to  within  ten  feet  of  the  water,  so  that 
the  safe  part  of  the  road  was  only  wide  enough 
for  one  rider  to  pass  along  at  a  time.  Conse- 
quently, the  party  had  to  move  ahead  in  single 
file,  Captain  Knox  leading,  Deck  following,  and 
Captain  Vallingham  coming  next,  with  the  re- 
maining Confederates  behind  him,  the  sharp- 
shooters bringing  up  in  the  rear. 


308  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

The  rocks  were  from  six  to  ten  feet  in  height, 
and  were  covered  in  spots  with  sparse  growths 
of  brush.  Back  of  them,  at  a  distance  of  a 
hundred  feet  or  more,  was  a  hill,  leading  up 
into  a  growth  of  cedars. 

As  the  narrowest  part  of  the  trail  was  gained, 
Captain  Vallingham  dropped  behind,  until  fif- 
teen or  twenty  feet  separated  him  and  Deck. 
Then,  of  a  sudden,  he  drew  his  horse  around 
and  spoke  to  the  animal.  The  intelligent  equine 
understood,  and  with  one  marvellous  leap,  cleared 
the  edge  of  the  rocks  and  stood  on  the  flat  sur- 
face above.  Without  a  halt.  Captain  Vallingham 
urged  him  forward,  and  away  he  went  at  a  break- 
neck speed  for  the  cedars. 

The  two  Confederates  riding  back  of  their 
leaders  saw  the  movement  the  instant  it  was 
made,  but  they  said  nothing.  Deck  heard  the 
noise  as  the  horse  landed  on  the  rocks  and 
turned  as  quickly  as  he  could.  From  where 
he  sat  nothing  could  be  seen  but  the  top  of 
the  escaping  man's  head,  and  he  fired  at  this, 
putting  a  hole  through  Captain  Vallingham's 
hat  and  giving  the  alarm. 

"  Escaping,  is  he  I  "  cried  Life,  and  just  then 


Captain  Vallingham  attempting  to  escape. 

Page  308. 


OPERATIONS   IN   MCLEMOEE's    COVE  309 

the  rifle  of  the  first  of  the  sharpshooters  rang  out, 
and  another  bullet  increased  the  ventilation  in 
the  daring  man's  head-covering.  The  second  and 
the  third  sharpshooters  tried  to  urge  their  horses 
up  the  rocks,  but  this  could  not  be  done,  and 
they  made  the  leaps  alone,  directly  from  their 
saddles. 

"  Stay  back  and  watch  these  two  !  "  cried  Deck, 
to  Life  and  the  two  remaining  sharpshooters,  and 
leaped  up  the  rocks.  As  he  landed,  he  heard  a 
splash  in  the  water,  and  glancing  back  saw  that 
one  of  the  other  prisoners  had  tried  to  escape  by 
swimming  the  creek.  The  movement  was  a  fool- 
ish one,  for  the  moment  he  reappeared,  in  mid- 
stream, both  of  the  sharpshooters  still  on  the  trail 
fired  at  him,  killing  him  instantly. 

By  the  time  Deck  had  reached  the  top  of  the 
rocks,  Vallingham  had  covered  half  of  the  dis- 
tance to  the  cedars.  He  was  urging  his  horse 
along  among  the  tallest  brush  the  plain  of  rocks 
afforded,  and  it  was  difficult  to  get  another  shot 
at  him.  Deck  fired  once,  and  so  did  one  of 
the  sharpshooters  behind  him,  but  the  bullets 
whistled   harmlessly   among   the   cedars    beyond. 

"  He's    got    the    bulge    on    us,    Major,    bein' 


310  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION  » 

mounted  !  "  panted  Clefton,  who  now  caught  up 
to  Deck.  "  How  he  got  his  hoss  to  take  that 
jump  is  a  mystery  to  me." 

"  If  I  had  had  Ceph  I  could  have  jumped  after 
him,"  answered  Deck,  and  a  pang  of  regret  shot 
through  his  heart,  as  he  realized  what  a  great 
help  noble  Ceph  had  been  to  him.  "  Clefton,  you 
run  to  the  right  and  I  will  run  to  the  left.  San- 
ford,  you  keep  on  straight  ahead.  Unless  he 
knows  those  woods  thoroughly,  he'll  be  bothered 
to  find  a  path,  and  will  have  to  turn  in  one 
direction  or  another." 

By  the  time  Major  Lyon  had  ceased  speaking, 
Vallingham  had  gained  the  first  of  the  cedars. 
He  struck  the  woods  at  a  spot  where  the  ground 
was  very  uneven,  and  turned  to  the  left,  —  the 
direction  Deck  had  assigned  to  himself. 

Ordinarily  it  is  impossible  for  a  man  on  foot  to 
catch  up  with  a  running  horse,  although  the  man 
may  be  able  to  overtake  the  horse  in  the  course 
of  two  or  three  days'  running,  if  the  man  is  a 
trained  runner.  But  Captain  Vallingham  had  to 
move  along  with  a  certain  amount  of  caution,  for 
if  his  steed  went  down  into  a  hole  and  broke  a 
leg,  the  game  would  be  up.     Being  closer  to  the 


OPERATIONS   IN    McLEMORE's   COVE  311 

ground,  Deck  could  see  fairly  well,  and  he  came 
along  without  slacking  his  speed. 

The  major  was  within  a  hundred  feet  of  the 
Confederate,  and  was  on  the  point  of  calling  upon 
him  to  halt,  when  Vallingham  slipped  behind  the 
first  growth  of  cedars  and  out  of  sight. 

"  This  way,  boys  !  "  called  Deck,  and  made  for 
the  spot,  with  Clefton  and  Sanford  not  over  two 
hundred  feet  away.  There  was  a  small  brook  to 
cross,  and  he  came  into  the  woods  over  some  un- 
covered roots  of  trees  and  amid  a  mass  of  half- 
rotted  leaves  and  pine  needles  and  cones. 

"  Captain  Vallingham,  you  might  as  well  give 
up  !  "  he  called  out.     "  You  cannot  escape." 

"Follow  me  at  your  peril  !  "  came  back  in  a 
determined  voice.  "I  am  not  unarmed,  as  you 
suppose." 

This  reply  startled  Deck,  but  in  a  moment 
he  made  up  his  mind  that  the  Confederate  was 
bluffing,  and  he  did  not  slacken  his  speed.  Clef- 
ton  called  to  him,  and  he  ordered  both  sharp- 
shooters to  come  into  the  woods  with  him. 

There  was  a  road  through  the  cedars,  starting 
from  a  point  to  the  north  of  where  Vallingham 
had  entered.     Toward  this  road  the  Confederate 


312  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

now  pressed,  with  Deck  at  his  heels,  trying  to 
get  a  shot,  but  balked  by  the  trees  and  the 
darkness.  More  than  once,  the  major  went 
down,  and  he  wondered  how  the  escaping  pris- 
oner could  keep  in  the  saddle. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  Vallingham  had  dis- 
mounted, and  was  leading  his  steed  for  the 
road.  He  was  armed,  as  he  had  intimated,  but 
his  weapon  was  nothing  more  formidable  than 
a  stout  stick  just  picked  up.  He  reached  the 
road  at  last,  and  leaped  into  the  saddle  once 
more. 

Deck  came  into  the  opening  before  Valling- 
ham had  advanced  more  than  ten  yards.  In 
the  gloom  he  saw  the  forms  of  horse  and  rider, 
and  fired  twice  in  quick  succession,  at  the  same 
time  calling  upon  Clefton  and  Sanford  that  the 
prisoner  was  again  in  sight. 

The  second  leaden  messenger  from  the  major's 
weapon  struck  the  Confederate's  horse  in  the 
flank,  and  he  leaped  to  one  side  from  the  pain, 
unseating  Vallingham,  and  sending  the  captain 
to  the  ground.  The  shock  was  a  heavy  one, 
and  ere  the  captain  could  recover.  Deck  was 
upon  him. 


OPERATIONS   IN   McLEMORE's   COVE  313 

"  Do  you  surrender,  or  shall  I  fire  on  you  ?  " 
demanded  the  young  Union  officer. 

"I  —  I  surrender,"  groaned  Vallingham.  " Oh ! 
I  am  afraid  I  have  broken  a  rib." 

"  If  you  have,  I  am  sorry  for  you,  but  you 
brought  it  on  yourself,"  answered  Deck,  coolly. 
"  Sit  still  until  the  others  come  up." 

Clefton  and  Sanford  were  in  sight,  and  a  call 
brought  them  to  Deck's  side.  By  this  time 
Captain  Vallingham  had  grown  very  pale  ;  and 
suddenly  he  fainted.  Water  was  brought,  and 
he  revived,  but  he  said  his  right  side  hurt  him 
a  good  deal  where  it  had  struck  against  a  sharp 
stone. 

The  horse  that  had  been  wounded  walked 
lamely,  but  was  still  in  fair  condition,  and  the 
Confederate,  being  unable  to  walk,  was  allowed 
to  ride,  Sanford  leading  the  steed.  The  whole 
party  turned  back  to  the  trail,  where  they  found 
Life  and  his  men  and  the  third  prisoner  await- 
ing them. 

"And  so  Colver  is  gone,"  said  Captain  Val- 
lingham, when  told  of  the  shooting  of  the  man 
who  had  leaped  into  the  creek.  "  Poor  fellow ; 
I  am  afraid  I  am   responsible  for  his  rashness." 


314  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

"It  was  a  fool  move  all  round,  Cap'n," 
growled  the  third  prisoner,  and  the  captain  did 
not  gainsay  it. 

Once  more  the  march  for  the  Union  encamp- 
ment was  resumed,  and  this  time  a  close  watch 
was  kept  on  the  prisoners,  something  which  was 
now  scarcely  necessary,  as  Captain  Vallingham 
was  in  no  condition  to  attempt  another  escape, 
and  the  other  prisoner  being  far  too  scared  to 
dream  of  such  a  thing. 

It  was  dawn  of  the  following  day  when  Major 
Lyon  finally  reached  headquarters,  having  placed 
the  prisoners  in  Life's  charge,  to  be  turned  over 
to  the  proper  authorities  in  the  camp. 

He  found  the  general  commander  just  finish- 
ing his  scant  toilet,  after  taking  a  much-needed 
sleep  of  a  few  hours. 

"  Be  brief.  Major  Lyon,  for  I  have  little  time  to 
spare,"  he  said,  as  he  motioned  Deck  to  a  chair. 

Deck  had  prepared  his  report  in  his  mind 
before  announcing  himself,  and  was  as  terse  as 
any  one  could  wish.  The  general  listened  atten- 
tively, and  studied  the  maps  and  the  note-book 
with  interest. 

"This  is  another   feather   in  your   cap,  Major 


OPERATIONS   IN    MCLEMORE'S   COVE  315 

Lyon,"  he  said,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  inter- 
view.    "I  shall  make  mention  of  it." 

"  The  men  under  me  are  as  much  entitled  to 
credit  as  myself,"  answered  the  young  major, 
wishing  to  be  entirely  fair.  Yet  it  must  be 
confessed  that  his  bosom  swelled  with  pride  at 
his  commander's  words. 

"  Possibly  they  are  ;  —  they  shall  be  remem- 
bered also,"  was  the  rejoinder,  and  then  the 
major  was  dismissed,  to  make  place  for  several 
others  who  had  come  in  to  report. 

"  You  ought  to  be  an  out-and-out  scout, 
Deck  !  "  cried  Artie,  when  the  two  got  together 
later  in  the  day.  "  Life  has  been  telling  me  about 
what  was  done.  I  only  wish  I  had  been  along." 
And  later  on  Sandy  Lyon  said  the  same  thing. 

Information  had  been  obtained,  some  days 
back,  that  the  Union  commander,  Burnside,  had 
occupied  Knoxville,  and  that  his  opponent,  S.  B. 
Buckner,  had  retreated  to  Loudon.  It  was  now 
stated  that  fifteen  thousand  Confederate  forces 
were  on  their  way  to  join  Bragg.  The  question 
was,  would  the  two  forces  concentrate  in  Chat- 
tanooga, or  at  some  place  outside,  to  do  battle 
with  the  army  of  the  North  ? 


316  AlSr   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

As  has  been  said,  the  Army  of  the  Cumber- 
land lay  along  the  western  base  of  the  moun- 
tains. On  the  7th  of  September,  Negley's 
division  commenced  the  ascent  of  the  steep 
sides,  and  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  gained 
the  summit.  A  reconnoissance  was  made  by 
Colonel  Wood,  and  it  was  found  that  the  enemy 
had  heavy  guns  in  the  vicinity,  covering  the 
eastern  side  of  the  mountain.  The  next  day 
General  Negley  seized  Cooper's  and  Stevens' 
Gaps,  finding  the  latter  heavily  barricaded. 

Other  troops  moved  in  various  directions. 
The  Rjv^erlawns,  with  the  cavalry  on  the  extreme 
right,  were  ordered  to  sweep  through  Broom- 
town  Valley  and  seize  the  railroad  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Dalton,  thus  cutting  off  the  enemy's  line 
of  communication  in  this  district. 

The  Riverlawns  moved  forward  full  of  enthu- 
siasm, and  satisfied  that  at  last  some  sort  of  a 
battle  was  at  hand.  But,  alas  !  those  hopes 
were  doomed  to  disappointment.  Bragg  was 
leaving  Chattanooga  as  fast  as  he  could,  and  by 
the  9th  of  the  month,  everybody  in  the  Army  of 
the  Cumberland  knew  it.  Rosecrans  had  gained 
"  The    Gateway  to  Georgia,"   by  strategy  alone. 


OPERATIONS   IN   MCLEMORE's    COVE  317 

As  the  enemy  had  retired,  there  was  but  one 
thing  left  to  do,  —  go  after  him  and  compel  him 
to  either  fight  or  surrender,  and  this  Rosecrans 
did  without  a  moment's  delay. 

As  Chattanooga  was  abandoned.  General  Crit- 
tenden took  possession  without  serious  opposition. 
The  remainder  of  his  troops  were  called  up  from 
the  river,  and  on  the  same  day  that  the  news  of 
the  evacuation  was  spread  around,  he  started  with 
his  corps  for  Ringgold,  arriving  at  Rossville  that 
evening.  On  the  same  day,  Negley  marched  to 
McLemore's  Cove,  a  split  formed  between  Lookout 
Mountain  and  Pigeon  Mountain,  where  he  met 
the  enemy's  outposts  and  drove  them  back  for 
several  miles.  At  the  same  time  Heg's  brigade 
marched  into  Broomtown  Valley,  to  support  the 
cavalry,  should  they  be  needed. 

The  pursuit  was  growing  warm,  and  the  next 
day  the  advance  of  the  Union  troops  was  checked 
in  several  places  and  severe  skirmishes  resulted. 
General  Bragg  had  left  Chattanooga  in  haste,  but 
had  no  idea  of  retreating  without  a  battle.  ,He 
reckoned  that  the  Union  forces  were  larger  in 
numbers  than  his  own,  and  he  devised  a  plan  for 
meeting  them  not  as  a  whole  but  by  columns. , 


318  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION  i 

The  Confederate's  first  combination  was  directed 
against  the  corps  under  General  Thomas.  If  he 
could  reach  and  crush  Thomas's  force  before  the 
others  could  come  up,  he  felt  the  remainder  of  the 
campaign  would  be  comparatively  plain  sailing. 
The  division  under  Negley  at  McLemore's  Cove 
was  not  allowed  to  rest,  for  Bragg  ordered  a 
movement  against  it  in  great  force. 

Had  Bragg's  orders  been  carried  out,  there  is 
no  doubt  but  that  Negley's  division  would  have 
been  overwhelmed  by  mere  force  of  numbers  if 
nothing  else.  But  fortunately  for  Thomas's 
corps  there  was  a  delay.  Hill  sent  word  that  the 
gaps  were  filled  with  felled  timbers  and  could  not 
be  cleared  in  twenty-four  hours.  Bragg  then 
ordered  Buckner  forward  to  cooperate  with  Hind- 
man,  but  there  was  another  fatal  halt.  To  hasten 
this  battle  Bragg  then  moved  his  headquarters 
to  Lafayette,  and  ordered  more  soldiers  to  this 
united  attack,  which  was  to  fall  on  Negley,  who 
was  isolated  from  the  balance  of  the  Fourteenth 
Army  Corps  by  mountains  hard  to  travel. 

All  day  long  the  Confederate  commander  lis- 
tened for  Hindman's  proposed  attack,  but  it  did 
not  come,  for  Hindman  thought  the  force  before 


OPERATIONS   IN   McLEMORE's    COVE  319 

him  too  strong  and  awaited  reenforcements  under 
Hill.  In  the  meantime,  General  Baird  had  come 
to  Negley's  support.  There  was  some  sharp 
fighting,  but  Negley's  division  was  saved  and 
withdrew  to  the  base  of  Lookout  Mountain,  where 
it  was  joined  by  Reynold's  and  Brennan's  divi- 
sions; and  then  the  Union  centre  was  once  more 
secure. 


CHAPTER   XXV 

"HOLD   THE   HILL   FOR    TEN   MINUTES,    AT   ANY 
COST  !  " 

The  first  great  movement  of  the  Confederate 
commander  having  failed  of  success,  he  now  tried 
another,  wliich  was  to  hurl  liis  united  forces  upon 
Crittenden,  who  was  approaching  him  from  the 
direction  of  Chattanooga.  He  knew  Crittenden's 
troops  were  divided  by  woods  and  mountains,  and 
wrote  to  one  of  his  generals,  Polk  :  "  This  pre- 
sents a  fine  opportunity  of  striking  Crittenden  in 
detail,  and  I  hope  you  will  avail  yourself  of  it 
to-morrow.  This  division  crushed,  and  the 
others  are  yours."  He  referred  to  the  first 
division  sent  in  the  direction  of  Ringgold,  not 
knowing  that  other  troops  had  been  sent  after  it. 
Wheeler's  cavalry  —  or  a  large  portion  of  it  — 
was  sent  to  cover  Polk's  right.  But  again  there 
was  a  delay,  Polk  stating  the  enemy  was  too 
strong  for  him.  Bragg,  much  put  out,  took 
Buckner's  command  and  went  to  the  front,  only 
to  learn  a  few  hours  later  that  Crittenden  had 
320 


"  HOLD   THE   HILL   FOR   TEN   MINUTES  !  "       321 

reunited  his  forces  and  taken  a  stand  on  the 
other  side  of  Chickamauga  Creek. 

So  far  there  had  been  many  movements  and 
many  forced  marches,  but  no  battle  had  resulted. 
There  were  still  many  changes,  but  in  a  work  of 
this  sort,  written  primarily  to  show  the  move- 
ments of  the  Riverlawn  Cavalry,  the  details  of 
these  movements  can  hardly  find  a  place.  A 
battle  seemed  "  in  the  air,"  and  as  day  after  day 
went  by,  both  sides  grew  more  anxious  to  fight, 
and  each  waited  only  for  some  slight  advantage 
over  the  other. 

General  Rosecrans  now  made  preparations  to 
hold  all  the  roads  leading  to  Chattanooga  east  of 
the  mountains.  Van  Cleve  went  to  Crawfish 
Springs,  Palmer  to  Gowan's  Ford,  McCook  with 
several  divisions  took  a  mountain  road  to  Stevens' 
Gap,  to  join  Thomas,  Sheridan  marched  down 
Lookout  Valley  to  Johnson's  Creek,  and  the  cav- 
alry went  to  Dougherty's  Gap  and  McLemore's 
Cove.  Thus  were  the  three  columns,  right,  cen- 
tre, and  left,  once  more  within  supporting  dis- 
tance of  each  other,  "  a  matter  of  life  and  death," 
as  General  Rosecrans  states  in  a  report  on  the 
subject. 


322  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION  i 

General  Bragg  now  felt  that  he  must  do  some- 
thing. Two  splendid  chances  for  striking  the 
Union  forces  had  been  allowed  to  slip  by  through 
the  failure  of  his  officers  to  carry  out  his  in- 
structions on  time  ;  he  felt  there  must  be  no 
further  failure.  He  would  concentrate  his  whole 
army  into  one  grand  effort  to  crush  General 
Rosecrans  and  all  under  him.  His  efforts  were 
spirited  and  daring,  and  worthy  of  a  far  better 
cause  than  that  of  trying  to  split  our  glorious 
Union  into  fragments. 

The  first  movement  was  to  concentrate  his 
army  along  the  east  bank  of  Chickamauga  Creek, 
and  here  he  awaited  reenforcements  under  Long- 
street  from  Virginia,  in  the  meantime  sending 
out  orders  as  to  how  each  division  of  his  com- 
mand should  take  part  when  the  general  move- 
ment began.  All  was  in  readiness  by  the  17th  of 
September,  and  the  order  was  given  to  move 
across  the  stream  at  six  o'clock  the  next  morning ; 
a  portion  of  his  command  to  go  across  at  Alexan- 
dria Bridge,  another  at  Reed's  Bridge,  a  third  at 
Ledford's  Ford,  and  others  to  try  what  could  be 
done  at  Lee  and  Gordon's  Mill,  or  Dalton's  Ford. 
The  plan  looked  to  the  destruction  of  the  left 


"  HOLD   THE   HILL   FOR   TEN  MINUTES  !  "      323 

wing  of  our  army  and  the  retaking  of  the  roads 
leading  to  Chattanooga.  It  brought  on  the  bat- 
tle of  Chickamauga,  which  lasted  for  two  days, 
Saturday  and  Sunday,  September  19th  and  20th, 

—  a  nerve-trying  contest  neither  the  wearers  of 
the  blue  nor  the  wearers  of  the  gray  were  ever 
liable  to  forget. 

While  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  was  con- 
centrating on  one  side  of  the  Chickamauga  and 
the  Army  of  Tennessee  on  the  other,  with  several 
outside  forces  to  aid,  if  possible,  on  one  side  or 
the  other,  the  cavalry  was  employed  along  the 
river  banks  to  report  all  movements  of  the  enemy, 

—  Minty  being  on  the  Union  side  and  Forrest  on 
the  Confederate  side.  To  the  Union'forces  were 
added  the  Riverlawns,  although  they  operated 
largely  as  an  independent  body. 

The  cavalry  were  stationed  at  both  Reed's  and 
the  Alexandria  Bridges,  and  beyond  them,  and  in 
the  afternoon  of  the  day  before  the  great  battle, 
Colonel  Lyon  received  hurried  orders  to  proceed 
across  Reed's  Bridge  in  the  direction  of  Pea  Vine 
Creek,  three  miles  eastward,  to  support  some  of 
Minty's  cavalry  who  had  encountered  the  Con- 
federate   forces   under    General    Johnson.       The 


324  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

colonel  lost  no  time  in  obeying  this  command, 
and  in  less  than  three  minutes  after  it  was  deliv- 
ered the  Riverlawns  were  galloping  along  the 
uneven  pike,  every  company  with  full  ranks  and 
every  man  ready  to  do  his  duty. 

Johnson  had  left  Ringgold  early  in  the  morn- 
ing, his  instructions  being  to  cross  the  Chicka-' 
mauga  at  Reed's  Bridge,  and  then  to  sweep 
onward  toward  Lee  and  Gordon's  Mill.  The  way 
was  hard,  the  roads  covered  with  dust,  and  by  two 
o'clock  it  was  reported  to  him  that  the  Union 
cavalry  under  Minty  was  in  front,  at  Pea  Vine 
Creek,  ready  to  dispute  his  passage  to  the  Chicka- 
mauga.  His  column  consisted  of  four  divisions  of 
infantry,  a  portion  of  Forrest's  cavalry,  several 
batteries  and  eight  pieces  of  reserve  artillery. 

"If  Minty's  cavalry  is  in  front,  so  much  the 
worse  for  Minty,"  were  the  Confederate's  words. 
"  Forward,  and  let  every  man  do  his  best  for  the 
gallant  stars  and  bars  I  " 

The  wearers  of  the  gray  responded  with  that 
battle-cry  which  has  since  become  so  well  known  ; 
and  the  first  division  was  hurled  at  Minty  just  as 
he  appeared  at  a  turn  in  the  road  not  far  from 
the  little  creek. 


"  HOLD    THE   HILL   FOE   TEN   MINUTES  !  "      325 

The  shock  was  heavy  but  the  cavalry  stood  up 
to  it,  and  a  rapid  fire  on  both  sides  resulted. 
Seeing  there  were  more  Union  cavalrymen  in 
reserve,  Johnson  sent  additional  troops  to  the 
front,  and  Minty  was  gradually  forced  backward. 
It  was  then  that  the  Riverlawns  were  called  into 
action. 

"  You  are  wanted.  Colonel  Lyon  !  "  cried  the 
dashing  Union  commander,  who  sat  astride  of  a 
steed  covered  with  foam.  "  They  are  on  us  in 
overwhelming  numbers,  yet  my  orders  are  to  hold 
this  road  and  the  bridge." 

"  I  will  help  you  all  I  can.  Colonel,"  answered 
Colonel  Lyon.  "  I'll  go  wherever  you  think  is 
best." 

"  Then  take  that  road  to  our  right.  I  have  sent 
some  of  my  own  troops  to  the  left.  Johnson  may 
have  so  many  men  with  him  that  he  will  try  to 
cut  off  my  rear." 

"I  will  follow  your  directions.  Colonel,"  said 
the  commander  of  the  Riverlawns;  and,  turning 
in  the  saddle,  he  issued  the  necessary  orders ;  and 
away  went  the  twelve  companies  across  a  small 
open  field  a  short  distance  above  Pea  Vine  Creek. 

Minty   had   guessed    correctly ;    Johnson   was 


326  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

calculating  to  surround  him,  and  a  division  of 
his  troops  was  already  hurrying  to  the  right  of 
the  Union  cavalry.  There  was  a  slight  rise 
of  ground,  and  it  was  the  intention  of  the  Con- 
federate commander  to  have  his  left  wing  sneak 
around  this.  Once  in  the  rear  of  Minty,  the 
Union  cavalry  would  be  caught  in  a  trap  and 
either  wiped  out  or  compelled  to  surrender. 

The  Riverlawns  were  sweeping  directly  up 
the  hill  at  full  speed,  with  Deck  in  advance  of  the 
first  battalion.  His  father  was  beside  him,  and 
both  reached  the  top  together,  field-glasses  in 
hand. 

"  There  they  are !  "  cried  Deck,  pointing  with 
his  hand.     "  We  are  none  too  soon  !  " 

"  You  are  right,  my  son,"  answered  the  colonel ; 
and  he  motioned  Lieutenant-Colonel  Gordon  to 
his  side. 

A  plan  of  action  was  soon  established  ;  and  by 
the  time  the  Confederate  force  was  within  firing 
distance,  the  Riverlawns  were  drawn  up  along 
the  brow  of  the  hill  in  battalion  ranks,  each  bat- 
talion resting  within  two  hundred  feet  of  that 
next  to  it. 

"First   company  take   aim  —  fire!"    came   the 


"  HOLD   THE   HILL   FOR   TEN   MINUTES  !  "      327 

command ;  and  the  first  blazed  away,  followed  by 
the  fifth,  and  the  ninth,  —  the  leaders  of  the 
second  and  third  battalions.  The  smoke  had 
not  yet  cleared  away  when  the  second,  sixth,  and 
tenth  companies  came  to  the  front  and  discharged 
their  carbines,  and  the  companies  behind  these 
soon  after  followed  suit. 

The  first  volley  did  not  halt  the  Confederates, 
but  the  second  did,  while  the  third  and  fourth 
rounds  caused  the  leading  companies  to  fall  back, 
a  score  of  men  having  been  killed  and  wounded. 
But  their  leader  urged  them  on,  and  they 
left  the  road  and  charged  straight  up  the  little 
hill. 

Before  the  charge  was  made.  Colonel  Lyon 
saw  that  to  combat  with  such  a  force  with  a 
single  regiment  of  cavalry  would  be  folly.  Ac- 
cordingly he  despatched  his  orderly  post-haste 
to  Colonel  Minty,  with  the  following  message  :  — 

"  Force  operating  on  the  right  too  heavy  for 
me.  Think  it  is  half  a  division,  or  more.  Will 
hold  the  top  of  the  hill  as  long  as  I  can." 

The  messenger  had  scarcely  gone  when  the 
fight  on  the  hillside  began.  The  Confederates 
crowded  forward  in  large  numbers,  and  it  looked 


328  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

as  if  the  Riverlawns  would  be  completely  en- 
gulfed. But  Colonel  Lyon  kept  the  whole  three 
battalions  up  to  the  firing  line,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  twelfth  company,  which  was  sent  to 
the  rear,  to  watch  that  they  should  not  be  cut 
off  from  concentration  with  Minty. 

Two  charges  had  been  made,  when  the  orderly 
came  back. 

"  Hold  the  hill  for  ten  minutes,  at  any  cost ! " 
was  the  message  sent  back.  Minty  was  retreat- 
ing, there  being  nothing  else  to  do,  and  if  the 
hill  was  lost,  the  Confederates  would  surround 
him  before  Alexandria  Bridge  could  be  gained. 

"I  will  hold  the  hill,"  said  Colonel  Lyon,  and 
waving  his  sabre,  he  came  up  directly  to  the 
front.  "  Men,  we  are  asked  to  hold  this  hill  for 
ten  minutes.  It  means  life  or  death  to  the 
cavalry  on  the  Pea  Vine  Creek  road.  Will  you 
help  me  to  hold  it?" 

"  We  will !  "  came  in  a  stirring  cry.    "  We  will !  " 

"  I  knew  you  would  do  it !  This  is  our  stand, 
and  here  we  must  remain !  Do  not  budge  an 
inch  !  " 

"  We'll  stand  like  rocks !  "  shouted  a  heavy- 
set  Kentuckian.      "  Hurrah  for  Colonel  Lyon  !  " 


"  HOLD   THE   HILL   FOR   TEN  MINUTES  !  "      329 

There  was  a  cheer,  and  a  volley  from  the 
companies  at  the  front.  The  smoke  was  now 
becoming  thick,  and  in  the  midst  of  this  the 
enemy  swarmed  up  the  hillside. 

"  First  battalion  —  charge  !  "  came  the  order, 
and  away  went  the  four  companies,  with  Deck 
in  the  lead,  to  break  down  a  column  which 
was  advancing  on  the  left,  the  most  vulnerable 
point  on  the  rise  of  ground.  There  was  a  crash 
of  musketry  and  a  cracking  of  pistols,  and  then 
the  clash  of  sabres,  striking  fire,  as  the  two 
forces  closed  in. 

The  young  major  found  himself  in  a  trying 
position.  The  enemy  counted  three  times  more 
men  than  were  in  his  own  ranks,  consisting  of  a 
battalion  and  a  half  of  cavalry  and  an  equal 
number  of  infantry.  On  the  moment,  he  planned 
to  charge  the  cavalry  first  and  draw  them  away 
from  the  foot-soldiers.  The  plan  succeeded, 
and  then  the  contest  became  a  little  more  equal. 

Colonel  Lyon  watched  the  scene  with  bated 
breath,  for  Deck  was  far  too  daring,  to  his  mind; 
but  the  moment  the  enemy's  cavalry  and  in- 
fantry separated,  he  smiled  to  himself.  Calling 
Major    Belthorpe,    he    ordered    him    forward    to 


330  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

engage  the  separated  infantry,  and  in  a  minute 
more  two  battles  were  on  instead  of  one  on  the 
hillside. 

In  the  meantime  Minty  was  falling  back, 
slowly,  but  surely,  doing  all  the  damage  possible 
as  he  retreated.  It  had  not  been  presumed  by 
General  Rosecrans  that  Minty  could  overcome 
the  forces  under  Johnson,  but  the  Union  com- 
mander wished  to  subject  Bragg  to  delays  in 
concentrating  his  troops,  knowing  that  such 
delays  usually  worked  to  the  Confederate's  ulti- 
mate defeat. 

Fearing  that  Minty  could  not  hold  the  force 
against  him  back  long  enough,  the  general  in 
command  sent  Wilder  after  him,  to  operate 
as  the  Riverlawns  were  operating.  They  came 
up  in  the  midst  of  the  contest,  and  aided  mate- 
rially in  the  retreat ;  but  of  their  coming  Colonel 
Lyon  knew  nothing. 

Five  minutes  had  gone  by,  and  the  Riverlawns 
were  being  pressed  back.  One  company  had 
been  disorganized,  —  the  fifth,  Captain  Gadbury 
being  wounded,  and  the  first  lieutenant.  Grand, 
being  shot  dead.  Under  these  conditions.  Sec- 
ond Lieutenant  Sandy  Lyon  assumed  command. 


"HOLD    THE    HILL    FOR    TEN    MINUTES  !  "       331 

The  fifth  company  was  the  first  of  the  second 
battalion,  and  Sandy  now  found  himself  charg- 
ing the  Confederate  infantry  just  mentioned. 
He  went  in  with  vigor,  and  no  one  acted  with 
greater  heroism  that  day  than  did  this  young 
Kentuckian  who  had  once  marched  under  the 
stars  and  bars,  but  who  had  recognized  the 
error  of  his  ways,  and  was  now  fighting  under 
the  glorious  stars  and  stripes. 

"  He's  all  there  —  Sandy  is  !  "  murmured  old 
Titus  Lyon,  and  there  was  something  like  a 
tear  in  his  eye.  "  God  bless  him  and  preserve 
him  for  his  mother's  sake  and  for  mine !  "  It 
did  the  old  man's  heart  good  to  see  his  boy  at 
the  head  of  that  dashing  company  of  cavalrymen. 

Exasperated  at  the  stubborn  resistance  on  the 
hill,  Johnson  sent  forward  another  regiment  of 
infantry  to  support  the  infantry  and  cavalry 
already  in  the  field.  What  to  do  was  now  a 
question  to  Colonel  Lyon.  He  looked  at  his 
watch.  The  Riverlawns  had  held  the  hill  for 
exactly  sixteen  minutes.  Should  he  fall  back? 
If  he  remained  he  might  be  annihilated  ;  if  he 
fell  back  Minty  might  be  lost. 

A  shout  from  the   rear   reached   his  ear.       A 


332  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

staff-officer  wp^s  riding  toward  him  at  breakneck 
speed.  "  Fall  back  —  the  retreat  has  been  suffi- 
ciently covered  !  "  came  the  order,  and  much 
relieved,  Colonel  Lyon  ordered  his  battalions  to 
retreat  to  the  creek  road,  where  they  came  up 
side  by  side  with  the  front  of  the  regular  cav- 
alry column.  Minty  had  met  Johnson  at  noon. 
It  was  now  after  three  o'clock,  and  the  Confed- 
erate advance  had  been  delayed  three  hours.  It 
could  not  be  delayed  longer,  however,  and  Minty, 
Wilder,  and  the  Riverlawns  continued  to  fall 
back.  Johnson  reached  Reed's  Bridge  shortly 
after  three  o'clock,  and  marched  for  Jay's  Mill, 
arriving  there  an  hour  later.  The  Riverlawns 
went  into  camp  not  far  from  the  Chickamauga, 
and  awaited  further  orders. 


CHAPTER   XXVI 

THE  BATTLE   OF   CHICKAMAUGA 

"Phew,  but  that  was  a  hot  time  while  it 
lasted !  "  observed  Captain  Artie  Lyon,  when  the 
regiment  was  once  more  in  a  safe  position  and  at 
ease.  "  Those  fellows  can  fight  if  they  set  out 
for  it." 

"  We  were  very  fortunate,  having  lost  no  officers 
and  but  four  men,"  answered  Deck,  to  whom  he 
was  speaking.  "  The  second  battalion  fared  a 
good  deal  worse  with  that  infantry.  Captain 
Gadbury  is  so  severely  wounded  he  has  been  sent 
to  the  rear,  and  Lieutenant  Grand  is  dead." 

"  Then  Sandy  will  become  captain  of  that  com- 
pany !  "  cried  Artie.  "  Well,  he  deserves  such  a 
position,  to  my  way  of  thinking." 

"  I  am  sorry  for  Captain  Gadbury,"  resumed 
Deck,  and  he  wondered  what  Margie  Belthorpe 
would  say  when  she  heard  that  the  gallant  captain 
was  wounded.  As  will  be  remembered,  the  rela- 
tionship between  Margie  Belthorpe  and  Captain 

333 


334  AK   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

Gadbury  was  even  more  advanced  than  was  the 
tender  feeling  between  Deck  and  Kate  Belthorpe. 

Shortly  after  the  conversation,  Deck  received 
permission  to  go  to  the  rear  and  visit  the  injured 
captain.  He  found  Gadbury  suffering  from  a 
wound  in  the  hip.  It  was  not  a  dangerous  shot, 
but  one  which  would  lay  the  dashing  fellow  up 
for  some  time.  Deck  saw  to  it  that  the  captain 
was  given  every  attention,  and  wrote  to  Margie 
telling  her  of  what  had  happened.  Later  on. 
Captain  Gadbury  was  removed  to  Lyndhall,  where 
the  Belthorpe  sisters  did  all  in  their  power  to 
render  his  convalescent  state  pleasant  in  the 
extreme. 

Matters  had  to  move  quickly,  and  as  soon  as  the 
thing  could  be  arranged,  Sandy  Lyon  was  made 
acting  captain  of  the  fifth  company,  with  rank  of 
first  lieutenant.  He  assumed  control  with  quiet 
dignity,  and  soon  made  himself  fully  as  popular 
as  Gadbury  had  been. 

It  was  felt  that  General  Bragg  had  one  advan- 
tage —  he  could  see  without  being  seen.  His  scouts 
were  on  the  top  of  Pigeon  Mountain,  and  they 
watched  every  movement  of  the  Union  troops, 
while  the  Confederates  lay  concealed  behind  the 


THE   BATTLE    OF    CHICKAMAUGA  335 

thick  growth  of  timber  aloiig  the  Chickamauga. 
The  most  Rosecrans  could  do  was  to  keep  his 
cavalry  in  motion,  reporting  every  movement  the 
instant  it  was  developed  in  front  of  the  Army  of 
the  Cumberland. 

Bragg  had  concentrated  his  forces,  and  now  he 
planned  to  strike  one  tremendous  blow  at  a  flank 
of  the  Union  forces,  and  gain  Rosecrans'  rear  and 
his  line  of  communication  with  his  depot  of  sup- 
plies. For  this  purpose  the  Confederate  leader 
divided  his  forces  into  two  corps,  one  under  Polk 
and  the  other  under  Longstreet,  Hood  command- 
ing the  latter  temporarily.  The  troops  advanced 
in  the  darkness,  and  by  midnight  held  all  the 
fords  of  the  Chickamauga  from  Lee  and  Gordon's 
Mill  well  toward  Missionary  Ridge. 

But  meanwhile,  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland 
was  not  idle.  Crittenden  was  on  the  left,  and 
Bragg  was  going  to  strike  him.  By  a  forced 
march  along  the  Dry  Valley  road  during  the  night, 
Thomas  with  his  entire  corps,  and  followed  by  a 
portion  of  McCook's  corps,  reached  a  position  fac- 
ing the  Reed  and  Alexandria  bridges,  now  burned, 
—  thus  making  the  left  wing  of  our  army  virtually 
the  right  wing.     And  not  only  did  Thomas  do  this, 


336  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

but  without  waiting  for  Bragg  to  attack,  or  recover 
from  his  surprise,  he  forced  the  battle  by  trying 
to  capture  a  Confederate  brigade  said  to  have 
become  isolated  from  the  balance  of  its  command. 
This  was  the  opening  of  the  great  battle. 

To  go  into  the  details  of  this  contest  would 
require  volumes.  Accounts  without  number  have 
been  written,  yet  the  tale  is  far  from  complete. 
Of  the  fighting,  let  it  be  said  briefly  that  it 
covered  miles  of  territory  thickly  overgrown  with 
timber  and  crossed  and  recrossed  by  numerous 
creeks  and  brooks,  with  here  and  there  a  rocky 
elevation  or  a  stretch  of  marsh  land.  In  these 
thickets  whole  divisions  became  separated  from 
their  comrades  in  arms,  and  often  a  single  regi- 
ment on  one  side  would  be  found  fighting  a  regi- 
ment on  the  other  side,  totally  ignorant  of  what 
was  going  on  around  them.  It  was  almost  im- 
possible to  move  the  artillery  around,  and  when 
pieces  were  captured  they  were  generally  found 
to  be  "  white  elephants "  upon  the  victor's 
hands. 

As  has  been  said,  Thomas  opened  the  fight. 
He  had  been  told  by  McCook  of  the  isolated 
Confederate   brigade,    McCook   stating   that    the 


THE   BATTLE   OF    CHICKAMAUGA  337 

bridge  behind  the  brigade  had  been  burned,  so 
the  Confederates  could  not  retreat.  To  capture 
this  brigade  Thomas  sent  Brennan  forward,  with 
the  result  that  the  Union  forces  soon  encountered, 
not  one  brigade,  but  three,  under  Forrest,  which 
were  protecting  Bragg's  right  flank.  The  fight- 
ing opened  fiercely,  and  it  was  found  necessary  to 
send  Baird  to  the  support,  along  with  an  extra 
Ohio  regiment.  But  more  of  the  Confederate 
forces  appeared,  under  Liddell,  and  two  brigades 
of  Union  troops  were  hurled  back,  with  the  loss 
of  ten  pieces  of  artillery. 

This  was  the  first  round  of  the  great  contest, 
but  ere  the  enemy  had  been  given  time  to  take 
breath,  the  Union  troops  pressed  forward  once 
more,  and  now,  by  a  gallant  charge  of  the  Ninth 
Ohio  one  of  the  batteries  lost  was  regained. 

Thomas  was  now  reenforced  by  a  portion  of 
Crittenden's  command  and  some  troops  of  Mc- 
Cook's,  while  Cheatham  reenforced  the  Confed- 
erate front.  The  latter  came  forward  in  two 
columns,  and  as  they  separated  Bragg  placed 
Steward  in  the  opening.  The  Confederates  came 
on  with  terrific  yells  and  in  turn  sent  back  first 
Palmer  and  then  Van  Cleve  in  great  disorder. 


338  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

For  a  moment  it  looked  as  if  the  enemy  would 
sweep  all  before  them. 

But  Davis's  division  was  now  on  the  ground, 
and  he  advanced,  supported  by  Wood,  and  the 
Union  forces  came  to  a  halt  and  were  reformed, 
when  they  drove  almost  all  the  Confederate 
forces  back  to  their  original  positions.  Sheri- 
dan's troops  also  took  part  in  this  movement, 
and  a  large  number  of  the  Confederates  in  Long- 
street's  corps  were  made  prisoners. 

It  was  now  past  noon,  and  after  several  charges 
in  his  division  positions,  Bragg  began  another 
assault,  on  the  right  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumber- 
land. The  assault  was  led  by  Hood,  who  fell 
furiously  upon  Reynolds  and  Van  Cleve.  For 
a  quarter  of  an  hour  it  looked  as  if  this  fierce  on- 
set would  prove  successful,  and  it  must  be  ad- 
mitted that  the  Confederate  valor  was  never 
greater  than  at  this  period. 

"  Down  with  the  Yanks  !  We'll  drive  'em  into 
the  Mississippi  !  "  was  the  cry.  "  Hurrah  for  the 
stars  and  bars  !  " 

Reynolds  and  Van  Cleve  were  struck  and 
driven  back,  but  still  they  battled  for  every  inch 
of  the  ground.     In  the  meantime,  portions  of  six 


THE   BATTLE   OF   CHICKAMAUGA  339 

batteries  were  harried  into  position,  and  then  a 
raking  fire  of  canister  was  poured  into  the  Con- 
federate lines.  But  still  on  they  came,  until  the 
tumult  drew  close  to  the  Widow  Glenn's  house, 
where  Rosecrans  had  his  headquarters.  The  en- 
emy occupied  the  Lafayette  road,  and  our  right 
was  shattered, — and  the  day  looked  black.  But 
now  up  came  Negley's  division  on  the  double- 
quick,  supported  by  Brennan,  and,  with  a  rousing 
battle-cry,  went  at  Hood  and  Johnson,  "  tooth 
and  nail,"  fighting  so  doggedly  and  taking  such 
terrible  punishment  undauntedly,  that  the  Con- 
federates had  at  last,  about  sunset,  to  give  way 
before  them,  and  darkness  ended  the  day's  con- 
test, with  final  victory  still  of  the  uncertain 
to-morrow.  Still  later,  there  was  another  out- 
break, short  and  sharp,  but  with  no  positive 
results. 

During  this  long  day's  fighting  the  cavalry 
operated  principally  along  the  upper  fords  of  the 
Chickamauga,  although  occasionally  called  else- 
where, to  save  the  artillery  and  to  fill  up  breaks 
in  the  lines  which,  owing  to  the  roughness  of  the 
ground,  the  infantry  could  not  accomplish.  The 
Riverlawns  went  into  action  at  ten  o'clock,  half  a 


340  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION  ' 

mile  from  the  creek  proper,  along  the  bank  of  a 
stream  locally  known  as  Duff's  Claim.  Here  the 
growth  of  trees  was  heavy,  but  there  was  very 
little  underbrush. 

It  was  thought  that  a  portion  of  the  enemy's 
cavalry  was  moving  upon  Duff's  Claim,  with  the 
intention  of  following  the  course  of  the  stream 
and  getting  behind  the  Union  lines  half  a  mile  to 
the  northeast.  A  few  isolated  riders  had  been 
seen,  and  at  first  only  the  first  battalion  of 
the  Riverlawns  advanced  to  investigate.  The 
route  was  uneven,  and  the  four  companies  went 
ahead  almost  as  separate  commands.  Deck  riding 
with  the  fourth  company  and  beside  his  brother 
Artie. 

"  The  battle  is  on  for  certain,  now,"  remarked 
Captain  Artie,  as  the  heavy  roar  of  artillery 
reached  their  ears.  "  I  think  this  day  will  bring 
forth  some  decided  results." 

"  Yes,  the  two  armies  can't  play  hide-and-seek 
much  longer,"  answered  the  young  major.  "  Lis- 
ten !  That  was  artillery  below  this  creek.  I 
shouldn't  wonder  if  we  catch  it  all  along  the 
line." 

"Those  troops  will  try  to  come  across  here, —  I 


THE    BATTLE    OF    CHICKAMAnGA  341 

don't  doubt  it  for  a  moment.  But  we  —  What 
is  it,  Life  ?  "  he  asked  abruptly,  as  the  tall  cap- 
tain of  the  seventh  company  dashed  up  from  the 
timber  on  the  left. 

"  We've  spotted  several  companies  of  the  enemy 
over  in  this  direction,"  Life  jerked  his  thumb 
toward  the  point  to  which  Deck  was  marching. 
"  Major  Belthorpe  thought  I  had  best  give  you 
the  tip." 

"  Are  they  moving  ?  "  asked  Deck,  much  inter- 
ested. 

"  No,  —  looks  to  me  as  if  they  were  retreating 
—  but  it  may  be  a  blind." 

"  How  is  it  you  are  here  ?  " 

"  The  colonel  sent  my  company  after  your 
battalion,  and  Major  Belthorpe  is  just  com- 
ing up." 

"  What  of  Major  Truman's  command  ?  " 

"  Two  of  the  companies  are  over  yonder, 
and  the  others  are  in  the  rear.  I  thought  — 
Creation  !     Get  to  cover,  quick  !  " 

Life  drew  his  own  horse  back,  and  the  others 
followed  suit.  A  dozen  riflemen  had  opened  upon 
them,  putting  a  bullet  through  the  mane  of  Deck's 
horse.     The  first  volley  was  followed  immediately 


342  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION  » 

by  another,  and  Artie  Lyon  suffered  the  ruin  of 
one  of  his  shoulder  straps.  Before  the  Confed- 
erates could  fire  again,  all  were  safely  out  of 
range. 

"We've  developed  'em,"  was  Life's  dry  com- 
ment. "  Reckon  I  had  best  get  back  to  my 
command." 

"Ask  Major  Belthorpe  to  request  the  colonel 
to  send  you  over  here  with  part  of  your  men, 
if  he  can  spare  you.  I  am  half  of  a  mind  those 
men  over  there  are  sharpshooters." 

"I  will  do  it.  Major,"  answered  the  tall  Ken- 
tuckian,  and  dashed  away. 

By  this  time  the  first  three  companies  of  the 
first  battalion  had  fallen  back  to  a  safe  position, 
and  here  all  of  the  companies  were  joined,  in  ten 
minutes,  by  Life  Knox,  with  half  of  his  own  com- 
pany and  half  of  Captain  Ripley's  best  marksmen. 
A  cautious  advance  was  now  ordered,  and  the 
sharpshooters  advanced  on  their  hands  and  knees 
in  a  huge  semicircle.  To  learn  the  true  condi- 
tion of  affairs,  Deck  went  with  Life,  the  two  tak- 
ing a  course  which  soon  brought  them  to  where 
there  was  a  little  cove.  Beyond  this  cove  the 
creek  split  in  two  for  the  distance  of  thirty  rods. 


THE   BATTLE    OF    CHICKAMAUGA  343 

forming  a  long  island  in  the  centre,  one  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  wide  at  the  middle,  and  heavily 
wooded. 

"  Some  of  the  enemy  are  on  that  island,  that's 
certain,"  whispered  Life,  as  he  came  to  a  halt  at 
the  base  of  a  sharp  rock  some  four  feet  high. 
"Don't  expose  yourself.  Deck." 

"I  don't  intend  to,  Life.  But  what  can  those 
sharpshooters  be  doing  here  ?  They  didn't  know 
we  were  coming  this  way." 

"That's  true.  Major." 

"And  they  wouldn't  be  here  just  as  an  advance 
guard  for  some  cavalry." 

"Right  again." 

"  Then  why  are  they  here  ?  " 

"  I  give  it  up." 

"Well,  I  don't." 

"  What  do  you  intend  to  do  ?  " 

"Find  out  why  they  are  here." 

"  But  that  may  be  impossible,  without  an  open 
fight." 

"  I  wouldn't  like  to  force  an  open  fight  until  I 
know  how  those  marksmen  are  backed  up." 

"That's  just  the  trouble.  I  agree  that  the 
Johnnies   are   there    on  the   island.       To  get   to 


344  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION  ' 

the  island  you  have  got  to  cross  that  stream. 
If  you  show  yourself  in  the  water,  you're  a 
dead  man  —  that  goes  without  saying.  Now 
what  are  you  going  to  do?"  demanded  the  tall 
Kentuckian,  with  half  a  smile,  feeling  certain 
he  had  cornered  Deck. 

"Going  over  on  the  island." 

"But  you'll  be  shot!" 

"I  sincerely  trust  not." 

"  But  you  will  be !  It's  suicide  to  wade  that 
stream !  " 

"I  shan't  wade  the  stream." 

"  You  can't  jump  it,  for  it  is  fifteen  or  eigh- 
teen feet  wide,  and  a  jump  wouldn't  be  quick 
enough  —  to  my  way  of  looking  at  it.  You'd 
land,  and  drop,  sure  pop." 

"  I  shan't  wade  across,  neither  will  I  attempt 
to  jump  across,"  smiled  the  young  major. 

"  Then  how  in  thunder  do  you  expect  to 
get  over  to  the  island  ? "  demanded  Life,  ear- 
nestly. 

"  Wait  and  see.  Life ;  and  in  the  meantime 
keep  that  spot  well  covered,"  answered  Deck  ; 
and  he  pointed  up  the  stream  a  distance  of 
twenty  yards. 


THE   BATTLE   OF   CHICK  AM  AUG  A  345 

"  What  has  that  spot  got  to  do  with  your 
getting  over  there  ?  " 

"Everything." 

"The  stream  is  wider  there  by  five  feet  than 
it  is  down  below." 

"  Perhaps  you  had  better  not  ask  any  more 
questions,  Life.  Hut  don't  fail  to  keep  that 
point  covered,"  concluded  Deck ;  and  in  a  mo- 
ment more  he  had  glided  off  through  the  brush 
bordering  the  stream. 


CHAPTER   XXVII 

MAJOR   LYON   PLAYS   THE   PART   OF    A   SPY 

Major  Dexter  Lyon  had  made  up  his  mind 
that  a  portion  of  the  hostile  sharpshooters  were 
concealed  upon  the  narrow  island  in  the  centre 
of  the  stream  known  as  Duff's  Claim.  Several 
shots  had  been  fired,  and  both  he  and  Life 
Knox  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that  these 
had  come  from  the  heavily  wooded  strip  of  land. 

The  major  was  very  anxious  to  know  what  the 
sharpshooters  were  doing  in  this  vicinity.  No 
Union  force  had  been  in  the  neighborhood  for 
forty-eight  hours,  and  why  should  the  enemy 
send  such  expert  shots  to  such  a  spot  unless  it 
was  known  that  they  were  wanted  ?  Surely  the 
Confederates  had  no  sharpshooters  to  spare  on 
a  mere  excursion  into  these  woods. 

The  major  was  in  the  habit  of  thinking  rap- 
idly, and  his  conclusion  was,  that  the  sharp- 
shooters were  guarding  something,  which  must, 
necessarily,  be  of  value,  especially  to  the  army. 
346 


MAJOR   LYON   PLAYS   THE   PART    OF   A   SPY      347 

His  mind  went  back  to  the  time  when  he  had 
captured  the  ammunition  and  gun  on  the  raft. 
Would  it  be  his  good  fortune  to  make  another 
haul  of  as  much,  or  greater,  worth  ? 

It  must  be  remembered  that  at  this  time  the 
Riverlawns  knew  nothing  of  the  great  battle 
which  General  Thomas  had  precipitated  by  send- 
ing out  troops  to  capture  the  brigade  supposed 
to  be  isolated  from  the  remainder  of  the  Confed- 
erate command.  To  be  sure,  heavy  firing  was 
springing  up  here  and  there,  but  then  there 
had  been  heavy  firing  before  which  had  amounted 
to  but  very  little  when  it  came  to  summing  up 
results. 

When  Deck  had  been  conversing  with  Life,  his 
eye  had  been  caught  by  two  gigantic  willow 
trees  growing  along  the  banks  of  Duff's  Claim. 
One  tree  was  along  the  shore  where  the  Ken- 
tuckian's  men  lay  concealed;  the  other  grew  on 
the  shore  of  the  island,  directly  opposite.  Both 
trees  were  bent  and  twisted,  and  their  branches 
interlocked  some  fifteen  feet  above  the  stream's 
surface. 

Perhaps  the  task  Deck  had  set  for  himself 
may  look  easy  to  the  average  reader,  but  it  was 


348  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

not  altogether  so,  and  the  major  realized  this. 
The  willows  were  old,  and  old  trees  often  have 
rotten  limbs  which  break  when  least  expected. 
Moreover  green  willow  limbs  are  very  pliable 
and  bend  and  twist  beyond  expectation.  Under 
ordinary  circumstances,  Deck  would  not  have 
minded  a  tumble  into  the  stream,  but  he  knew 
that  a  tumble  now  would  bring  a  shot  meant 
to  be  fatal  and  one  which  would  most  likely 
prove  so. 

For  Deck  had  decided  to  cross  the  stream  by 
climbing  up  the  tree  nearest  to  him  and  making 
his  way  from  one  set  of  branches  to  the  next. 
The  tree  was  easily  gained ;  and  catching  a  limb 
on  the  side  away  from  the  water,  he  hauled 
himself  up.  Two  minutes  more,  and  he  was  at 
the  point  where  he  could  grasp  the  branches 
which  came  from  the  opposite  shore. 

So  far  he  had  heard  or  seen  nothing  to  awaken 
his  suspicion,  and  he  was  beginning  to  think  that 
no  sharpshooter  could  be  within  a  hundred  feet 
of  him,  if  as  close.  He  caught  the  limbs,  took 
a  long  step,  and  in  a  second  was  safe  on  the 
tree  beyond  the  stream. 

Deck  did  not  deem  it  best  to  descend   to  the 


MAJOR    LYON   PLAYS    THE   PART    OF    A    SPY      349 

ground  immediately.  He  moved  first  to  the 
main  trunk  of  the  willow,  and  then  to  the  ends 
of  the  limbs  spreading  toward  the  island's  in- 
terior. Here  there  was  a  ridge,  surmounted  by 
some  short  but  heavy  brush,  and  behind  the 
ridge  was  something  of  a  hollow,  although  the 
surface  was  not  below  that  of  the  stream. 

The  first  thing  that  caught  Deck's  eye  now 
was  a  barrel,  rolled  against  the  brush.  Half  a 
dozen  boxes  lay  close  by,  and  several  barrels 
were  behind  them.  Back  of  all  was  another 
line  of  brush,  but  he  felt  that  more  boxes  and 
barrels  were  not  far  off. 

"  Some  quartermaster's  stores,"  he  thought. 
"And  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  two  of  those  boxes 
are  from  the  hospital  department.  Evidently 
the  enemy  think  they  have  a  sure  thing  of  it  in 
this  vicinity.  Well,  the  Riverlawns  will  sur- 
prise them,  I  reckon." 

No  one  had  been  in  sight,  but  now  Deck  de- 
tected the  gleam  of  a  gun  barrel  but  a  few  yards 
distant.  The  Confederate  sharpshooter  lay  flat 
on  his  chest,  peering  through  the  bottom  of  some 
brush. 

"  By  the  boots,  but  that's  a  good  shot !  "  Deck 


350  AX    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

heard   him  mutter ;  and  he  saw  the  fellow  draw 
up  his  gun  and  take  a  careful  aim  at  something. 

Deck  felt  that  he  was  firing  at  one  of  his  own 
sharpshooters,  and  without  hesitation  the  major 
drew  his  own  pistol. 

"  Don't  fire  !  "  he  commanded,  in  a  clear,  but 
low  voice. 

"  What's  thet  ? "  demanded  the  Confederate, 
thinking  one  of  his  comrades  had  spoken  to 
him. 

"  I  said,  '  don't  fire,' "  replied  Deck,  taking 
care  to  keep  out  of  sight. 

"  Who  is  thet  talkin'  to  me  ?  "  And  now  the 
sharpshooter  turned  half  around.  "  I  had  a 
dandy  shot." 

"  The  cap'n's  orders  are  not  to  fire,  but  to 
retreat  to  the  other  side  of  the  creek,"  went  on 
Deck.  "  Pass  the  order  along ;  "  and  he  spoke 
in  a  rough  voice,  and  one  apparently  filled  with 
disgust. 

"  Well,- I   swan!"  came  from  the  Confederate, 
sharpshooter.     "  It  was  a  dandy  chance  to  bring 
down  a  man." 

"  I  had  a  dandy  chance  myself  just  now,"  an- 
swered  Deck.     He  felt    that  his   position  was  a 


MAJOR  LYON  PLAYS  THE  PART  OF  A  SPY   351 

delicate  one,  and  he  kept  his  finger  on  the  trig- 
ger of  his  pistol. 

"  Are  you  going  to  retreat,  too  ?  " 

"No;  the  cap'n  says  I'm  to  stay  on  guard  here." 

"  Then  he  don't  want  me  no  more  ?  " 

"  No.  You  are  to  go  back  —  and  don't  forget 
to  pass  the  word  along.  We're  running  the 
chance  of  being  surrounded,  I've  heard." 

At  this  the  Confederate  sharpshooter  muttered 
something  Deck  did  not  catch.  But  he  arose, 
and  fell  back,  and  in  a  few  seconds  more  was 
out  of  the  major's  sight. 

Deck's  ruse  had  succeeded,  but  he  knew  that 
the  success  would  be  of  Uncertain  duration.  His 
position  was  a  perilous  one,  for  discovery  would 
more  than  likely  mean  death. 

Anxious  to  make  the  most  of  the  present  op- 
portunit}^,  he  began  to  retreat,  hoping  to  gain  the 
position  his  command-  occupied  and  give  the 
necessary  instructions  to  capture  the  Confederates 
as  they  crossed  the  stream  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  island. 

He  reached  the  trunk  of  the  tree  and  was  on 
the  point  of  moving  to  the  outer  branches,  when 
a  voice  from  below  startled  him. 


352  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

"  Wot   yer   doin'  with  thet  Union    suit   on  ? " 

Looking  down,  Deck  saw  a  sharpshooter  gazing 
up  at  him.  The  Confederate  had  his  gun  to  his 
shoulder  and  the  barrel  was  pointed  directly  for 
the  major's  head. 

"  Got  to  wear  something,"  answered  Deck, 
speaking  as  calmly  as  he  could,  although  he  was 
somewhat  shocked  by  the  salutation. 

"  Ain't  you  a  Yank  ?  "  was  the  next  question  put. 

"  A  Yank  !  over  here  ?  "  queried  Deck,  in  pre- 
tended astonishment. 

The  Confederate  sharpshooter  was  silent  for  an 
instant,  and  shifted  an  immense  quid  of  plug 
tobacco  from  one  cheek  to  the  other. 

"  Say,  Major,  tumble  down  right  yere  !  "  he 
ordered  abruptly. 

"  Supposing  I  won't  come  down  ?  " 

"Then  I'll  have  to  tumble  you." 

"  So  you  take  me  for  a  Union  man  ? " 

"  I  reckon  I  take  you  for  a  prisoner,  or  a 
corpse.     Which  is  it  ?  " 

"  I  haven't  any  desire  to  become  a  corpse," 
answered  Deck. 

"  Then  you'll  come  down  ?  Correct,  Major. 
Toss  them  pistols  down  fust,  though." 


Say,  Major,  tumble  down  right  Vere  ! " 

Page  352. 


MAJOK   LYON   PLAYS   THE  PAKT   OF   A   SPY      353 

The  gun  was  still  pointed  at  Deck's  head 
while  the  sharpshooter  remained  partly  screened 
by  some  brush.  As  there  seemed  no  help  for  it 
Deck  threw  down  his  pistol  and  also  an  extra 
revolver  he  had  lately  taken  to  carrying.  His 
sabre  had  been  left  in  Life  Knox's  charge. 

"  Now  come  down,  and  no  funny  work,"  went 
on  the  Confederate.  "  I  reckon  you  didn't 
reckon   on  bein'  took  so  quick  like,  did  ye  ?  " 

"I  didn't  reckon  on  'bein'  took'  at  all,"  an- 
swered Deck.  It  was  an  easy  matter  to  descend 
to  the  ground  and  soon  he  found  himself  standing 
beside  the  man.  He  was  a  brawny  mountaineer, 
all  of  six  feet  in  height  and  the  picture  of  rugged 
health  and  strength.  There  was  no  doubt  but 
that  he  was  a  crack  shot  and  would  not  hesi- 
tate to  pull  a  trigger  whenever  the  occasion 
required. 

"  We-uns  is  lucky,"  murmured  the  mountain- 
eer, on  surveying  Deck.  "Them  is  splender- 
iferous  clothes  you  have  got.  Major." 

"  It  is  a  very  good  suit,  that's  a  fact.  Sergeant." 

"  Don't  call  me  sergeant.  Major.  I'm  plain 
Tom  Lum,  from  Dog-face  Mountain,  down  in 
Alabama.      Them  stripes   was  left   behind  by  a 


354  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

man  as  ain't  got  no  further  use  fer  clothin'.  But 
you're  a  real  major,  I  take  it." 

"  Let  us  change  the  subject,  Tom  Lum.  What 
do  you  propose  to  do  with  me  ?  " 

"  Take  you  back  to  headquarters,  I  reckon. 
You're  a  spy." 

"  If  I  am  a  spy  then  all  of  the  others  in  this 
vicinity  are  spies.  But,  Tom  Lum,  if  you  want  to 
take  my  advice,  you'll  let  me  go,  and  save  your 
own  bacon,"  went  on  Deck,  earnestly.  The 
mountaineer  tossed  his  shaggy  head  and  combed 
his  flowing  beard  with  his  crooked  fingers.  "  Got 
a  new  wrinkle  to  work  off  on  me,  have  ye  ?  Wall, 
it  won't  work.  We-uns  know  a  thing  or  two. 
March  !  " 

"Where  to?" 

"Back  to  —  " 

Bang  ! 

The  gunshot  rang  out  before  plain  Tom  Lum 
from  Dog-face  Mountain  had  time  to  finish 
his  sentence.  With  a  groan  the  mountaineer 
threw  up  his  arms,  staggered  several  steps, 
and   pitched   headlong  into  a  hollow. 

"  Quick,  Deck,  or  you'll  never  get  away !  " 
It  was  a  cry  from  Life  Knox,  who  had  come  up 


MAJOR    LYON   PLAYS   THE   PART    OF    A   SPY      355 

beside  the  willow  on  the  other  side  of  the 
stream  and  fired  the  shot,  as  Deck  and  the  Con- 
federate appeared  through  a  small  opening. 
"  Never  mind  your  shooting  irons  !  " 

The  shot  amazed  the  major,  coming  so  unex- 
pectedly. But  he  was  quick  to  realize  that 
a  chance  to  escape  had  come  and  equally 
prompt  to  make  the  best  of  it.  Like  a  flash 
he  turned,  picked  up  his  pistols,  and  ran  for 
the  stream. 

"  This  way.  Deck  !  "  continued  Life.  "  The 
jig  is  up  !  The  enemy  are  coming  up  behind 
us!" 

"  Behind  us  ?  "  repeated  the  major,  in  amaze- 
ment.    "  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  There  has  been  a  fight  back  of  this  woods, 
and  several  regiments  of  infantry  are  retreat- 
ing in  this  direction.  If  we  are  not  sharp,  we'll 
catch  it  on  both  sides !  " 

Before  Deck  had  a  chance  to  digest  this  in- 
formation, he  caught  it  from  the  rear.  Another 
sharpshooter  had  espied  him  in  the  act  of  leap- 
ing across  the  stream.  As  Deck  went  with  a 
splash  into  the  water,  the  fellow  fired,  and  the 
major   felt  a  stinging   sensation  in  the  left  arm, 


356  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

just  below  the  shoulder,  where  the  ball  had 
grazed  him. 

"  Heavens  !  don't  say  you  are  struck,  Deck," 
ejaculated  Life,  seeing  him  stagger.  "  Take 
that  for  it !  "  he  added,  and  fired  at  the  Con- 
federate who  had  delivered  the  shot.  Whether 
he  hit  his  man  or  not  he  could  not  tell,  but 
the  sharpshooter  disappeared. 

In  another  moment  the  major  was  beside 
the  captain  and  orders  were  given  for  the 
sharpshooters  to  charge  toward  the  island, 
which  they  did  with  vigor.  In  the  meantime, 
Deck  fell  back  to  where  the  battalion  lay. 

"  I  have  received  orders  to  form  on  the  road 
facing  the  stream,"  said  Colonel  Lyon.  "  Some- 
thing is  coming  this  way  besides  the  Confed- 
erate infantry.     The  enemy  is  retreating." 

Without  delay,  the  three  battalions  minus 
half  of  Captain  Knox's  company  and  half  of 
Ripley's  sharpshooters,  were  faced  about  ac- 
cording to  the  order.  They  had  hardly  taken 
positions  favorable  to  each,  when  the  outposts 
came  running  in. 

"Three  regiments  of  infantry  and  a  part  of 
a    battery !  "    was    the    announcement.      "  They 


MAJOK    LYON   PLAYS    THE   PART    OF    A    SPY      357 

are  coming  along  as  though  they  were  followed 
by  the  Old  Nick  himself !  " 

Colonel  Lyon  looked  at  Deck,  his  first  major. 

"  We  must  meet  them,  and  stop  them  — 
such  are  my  orders,  my  son." 

"  As  far  as  the  first  battalion  is  able,  the 
orders  shall  be  carried  out,  Colonel,"  replied 
the  son,  with  a  true  military  salute. 

Majors  Belthorpe  and  Truman  were  also 
called  up,  and  told  what  had  to  be  done,  and 
the  various  captains  were  also  instructed. 

Hardly  was  this  over,  than  a  company  and  a  half 
of  infantry  appeared,  running  at  more  than 
double-quick,  over  rocks  and  brush,  some  armed 
and  some  unarmed,  and  more  without  knapsacks 
than  with  them.  They  were  followed  by  what 
seemed  to  be  remnants  of  several  other  companies. 

"  Halt  !  I  command  you  to  halt,  you  cow- 
ards !  "  yelled  a  frenzied  major  of  the  Confeder- 
ates.    "  What  are  you  running  for  ?  " 

"  Ain't  got  no  more  ammunition  !  "  called  back 
a  soldier,  almost  breathlessly.  "  Where's  the 
ammunition  they  said  was  around  here  ? " 

"  It  is  not  far  away,  I  say  halt  !  Halt  ! 
Halt !  and  you  shall  have  ammunition  !     Halt !  " 


358  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

stormed  the  Confederate  officer,  but  without 
avail,  for  a  panic  is  a  panic,  and  hard  to  subdue, 
even  among  those  who  are  naturally  the  bravest 
of  soldiers. 

"  They  are  coming  like  sheep  ! "  exclaimed 
Deck.  "  First  company,  take  aim  —  fire  !  Sec- 
ond company  forward  !  "  And  around  swung 
the  battalion,  one  company  after  another  deliver- 
ing such  an  effective  fire  that  the  enemy  stopped 
in  a  state  bordering  on  total  despair.  Then 
half  a  dozen  companies  appeared  which  were  not 
so  panic-stricken.  A  cannon,  dragged  by  eight 
struggling  and  almost  exhausted  horses,  followed; 
and  then  came  more  infantry,  until  the  woods 
seemed  alive  with  them. 

"We  are  in  for  the  greatest  fight  of  our  lives  !  " 
cried  Major  Deck  to  Captain  Artie.  "  How  it 
will  end  Heaven  alone  knows  !  " 

And  then  and  there  the  Riverlawns  got  their 
first  taste  of  that  never-to-be-forgotten  battle  of 
Chickamauga  Creek. 


CHAPTER   XXVIII 

AN   ADVENTURE   AT   CRAWFISH   SPRINGS 

The  three  battalions  of  the  Riverlawns  had  been 
drawn  up  in  something  of  a  semicircle,  the  first 
under  Deck  occupying  the  right,  the  second  the 
centre  of  the  road,  and  the  third  the  left.  As 
the  road  was  scarcely  eight  feet  wide  and  wind- 
ing through  the  woods  at  that,  all  of  the  com- 
panies were  practically  behind  more  or  less 
shelter. 

The  attack  by  the  first  battalion  paralyzed  the 
panic-stricken  advance  guard  of  those  in  retreat, 
and  they  knew  not  how  to  turn.  But  when  they 
did  realize  their  position,  they  concluded  that,  for 
the  present,  the  greater  danger  lay  in  front  of 
them,  and  they  scampered  to  the  rear,  behind  the 
companies  which  still  kept  their  formations. 

The  first  battalion  was  still  delivering  its  fire, 

when  the  second  and  third  opened  up,  aiming  at 

the  Confederate  companies  drawn  up  in   proper 

ranks.     This  fire  was  returned,  and  several  of  the 

359 


360  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

Riverlawns  were  struck,  though  none  fatally. 
Then  more  Confederate  companies  appeared, 
spreading  out  to  the  right  and  the  left,  in 
the  hope  of  either  surrounding  the  Union  regi- 
ment and  capturing  it,  or  of  passing  around  it 
and  thus  effecting  an  escape. 

Colonel  Lyon  was  wide  awake,  and  never  had 
he  shown  greater  ability  as  a  commander  than 
now.  As  the  Confederates  came  on,  he  made  a 
rapid  calculation  as  to  their  number,  and  of  how 
many  were  armed.  Then  he  sent  word  back  to 
Captains  Knox  and  Ripley,  to  divide  their  forces 
and  send  the  sharpshooters  into  the  woods,  with 
orders  to  drive  the  fleeing  ones  toward  the  centre, 
—  that  is,  the  road.     Then  he  dashed  up  to  Deck. 

"Dexter,  can  you  take  that  gun?"  he  asked 
hurriedly. 

"I  can  try,"  answered  the  young  major. 

"  Do  so  at  once,  and  train  it  on  the  companies 
coming  up.  We  can  take  care  of  this  panic- 
stricken  horde,  I  feel  certain." 

Deck  saluted  and  turned  to  his  battalion. 
"  We  must  take  that  gun,  boys  !  And  we  must 
take  it  quickly.     Will  you  do  it  ?  " 

"  We  will  !  "  shouted  over  three  hundred  voices 


AN   ADVENTURE   AT   CRAWFISH   SPRINGS      361 

in  deep  unison;  and  away  went  the  four  compa- 
nies on  the  double-quick. 

The  captain  of  the  battery  saw  them  coming. 
He  had  lost  his  other  guns,  and  he  was  deter- 
mined to  hold  this  at  any  cost.  As  rapidly  as 
he  could,  he  turned  his  gun  into  position. 

"  I'll  give  'em  one  dose  of  canister,  if  I  die  for 
it  !  "  he  roared,  and  sighted   the   piece   himself. 

But  Deck  was  on  the  alert,  and  while  the  gun 
was  being  sighted,  he  gave  the  order,  and  the 
battalion  moved  out  of  range  immediately.  They 
darted  among  the  trees,  and  only  Artie  Lyon's 
company  received  the  shot,  which  killed  one  man 
and  wounded  two  others.  Before  the  cannon 
could  be  loaded  again,  the  first  company  was  on 
the  battery,  and  the  captain  went  down  under  a 
sweeping  blow  from  Captain  Abbey's  sabre. 
Seeing  their  leader  gone,  the  drivers  tried  to 
escape  on  the  horses,  but  were  brought  down  and 
compelled  to  surrender.  Of  the  whole  number 
but  one  assistant  escaped. 

No  sooner  was  the  gun  captured,  than  it  was 
turned  about  and  reloaded.  Among  the  River- 
lawns  there  were  a  number  who  knew  all  about 
handling  such  a  field-piece,  and  in  less  than  two 


362  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

minutes  a  most  destructive  fire  was  poured  into 
the  regularly  formed  Confederate  companies  just 
appearing  around  a  bend  of  the  forest  road.  The 
shot  brought  forth  a  loud,  defiant  yell,  but  the 
command  slackened  its  pace,  and  presently  came 
to  a  halt,  as  if  the  leading  officer  was  calculating 
what  had  best  be  his  next  move. 

Between  the  trees  and  the  brush  and  the  drift- 
ing smoke  —  a  smoke  far  more  dense  than  that 
emanating  from  the  powder  used  to-day — but 
little  was  to  be  seen  of  either  friend  or  foe,  and 
when  another  movement  began,  five  minutes  later, 
Colonel  Lyon  had  to  exercise  great  care,  for  fear 
one  of  his  battalions  might  fire  into  another. 
Advance  guards  were  sent  out  wherever  practica- 
ble, and  not  a  shot  was  fired  until  the  commander 
knew  exactly  where  it  was  going. 

The  Confederates  had  halted,  but  they  could 
not  do  so  long,  for  a  Union  force  —  some  Michi- 
gan infantry  —  was  pushing  them  in  the  rear.  A 
charge  was  made  on  the  battery  and  the  gallant 
first  battalion  behind  it.  The  rush  was  led  by  a 
hundred  cavalrymen,  and  twice  that  number  of 
infantry,  and  in  the  midst  of  it  there  came  on 
two  hundred   additional  cavalrymen  on  foot  —  a 


AN    ADVENTUEE   AT   CRAWFISH   SPRINGS      363 

detachment  of  Forrest's  unmounted  force  operat- 
ing near  the  ruins  of  the  Alexandria  bridge. 

The  crash  of  the  conflict  was  terrific,  the  Con- 
federates, hedged  in  front  and  rear,  fighting  with 
a  valor  born  of  desperation.  The  cannon  marked 
the  battle-ground,  and  around  this  circled  friend 
and  foe,  blinded  by  dust  and  smoke,  and  deafened 
by  the  close  discharge  of  carbines  and  muskets. 
In  five  minutes  Deck  saw  that  his  battalion  was 
being  beaten  back,  not  rapidly,  but  foot  by  foot, 
toward  Duff's  Claim. 

"  Don't  retreat,  boys  !  "  he  shouted.  "  Stand 
up  to  it  like  men !  The  victory  is  ours,  for 
more  Union  troops  are  coming.  Charge !  and 
I  will  lead  you !  "  and  he  did,  with  such  a  mag- 
nificent show  of  heroism  that  the  four  companies 
seemed  to  become  inspired,  and  sent  the  enemy 
on  the  retreat.  Then  the  cannon  was  reloaded, 
and  the  Confederates  received  another  dose  of  can- 
ister, just  as  the  Michigan  infantry  came  into  view. 

"  Surrender !  "  cried  Deck,  and  the  cry  was 
taken  up  from  behind  the  Confederates.  But  the 
leader  of  the  enemy's  force  did  not  deem  that  the 
time  to  give  up  had  yet  arrived,  and  ordered  his 
men  into  the  woods. 


364  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

It  was  a  fatal  blunder,  for  here  they  ran  into 
the  arms  of  the  panic-stricken  crowd,  hemmed  in 
by  Captain  Ripley's  sharpshooters.  Before  they 
knew  what  to  do,  the  second  and  third  battalions 
were  ordered  up,  and  also  Life  Knox's  command. 
Three  more  volleys  were  fired  by  the  Unionists 
and  one  by  the  Confederates,  and  then  the  rank- 
ing officer  of  the  latter,  a  major,  held  up  his  sabre 
to  which  he  attached  his  handkerchief,  as  a  token 
of  surrender. 

"  I  am  Major  Dudley  Arkell,"  he  said  to 
Colonel  Lyon,  who  received  the  surrender.  "  I 
hardly  know  what  commands  I  have  here,  as  I 
was  taken  out  of  my  own  regiment,  and  placed 
here  but  an  hour  ago,  —  after  these  poor  fellows' 
officers  were  shot  down." 

"  I  am  Colonel  Lyon,  of  the  Riverlawn  Cavalry 
of  Kentucky." 

Major  Arkell  extended  his  hand,  which  the 
colonel  shook  willingly. 

"  I  am  proud  to  know  you,  Colonel  Lyon,  and 
I  have  heard  of  the  Riverlawns  before.  They 
were  pitted  against  some  relatives  of  mine  at 
Stone  River,  —  a  captain  and  a  lieutenant,  who 
were  captured  by  your  force.     In  behalf  of  these 


AN   ADVENTURE   AT   CRAWFISH   SPRINGS      365 

men  I  have  surrendered  to  you,  and  who  are  not 
my  own  command,  I  request  that  you  will  treat 
them  with  consideration." 

"  I  shall  do  the  best  I  can  for  them  —  I  do  that 
for  all  prisoners,"  answered  Colonel  Lyon,  soberly. 
"  I  do  not  believe  in  making  war  any  more  heart- 
rending than  is  necessary." 

"Your  humanitarianism  does  you  credit,  Colo- 
nel Lyon,"  concluded  Major  Arkell,  as  he  saluted, 
and  rode  to  the  rear. 

With  as  little  delay  as  possible,  the  captured 
troops  were  made  to  throw  their  weapons  into  a 
heap.  Under  a  guard  of  one  battalion  —  the 
third,  they  were  speedily  escorted  to  the  rear 
and  placed  among  other  prisoners,  also  captured 
within  the  hour. 

The  next  movement  was  to  obtain  two  army 
wagons,  and  into  these  were  placed  the  stores 
found  on  the  island,  and  the  captured  firearms. 
In  the  meanwhile.  Captains  Ripley  and  Knox 
were  sent  after  the  retreating  Confederate  sharp- 
shooters. But  the  pursuit  was  in  vain,  the 
shooters  having  removed  themselves  to  the  oppo- 
site shore  of  the  Chickamauga. 

It   must    be    confessed    that    the    engagement, 


366  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

although  lasting  less  than  an  hour,  had  been  a 
most  tiring  one,  and  many  of  the  cavalrymen 
would  have  been  for  taking  a  rest  had  it  been 
allowed  them.  But  this  was  a  "  day  of  days  "  in 
which  history  is  made  with  marvellous  rapidity, 
and  hardly  were  the  prisoners  and  the  captured 
weapons  and  stores  disposed  of,  than  Colonel 
Lyon  received  orders  to  take  his  first  and  second 
battalion  up  to  a  ford  two  miles  above  the  present 
battle-ground.  The  Confederate  cavalry,  it  was 
feared,  would  make  a  dash  across  the  creek  to 
Crawfish  Springs,  and  the  Riverlawns  were  sent 
to  support  McCook's  command,  which  had  been 
weakened  by  the  loss  of  both  Davis's  and  John- 
son's divisions,  both  having  already  gone  to  the 
support  of  Thomas.  With  McCook  at  this  time 
was  Negley's  division  of  the  Fourteenth  corps. 
The  field  hospital  had  been  established  in  the 
vicinity  of  Crawfish  Springs,  and  it  was  felt  that 
the  enemy  must  not  be  permitted  to  come  over  at 
this  point. 

Crawfish  Springs  was  a  most  beautiful  spot,  a 
typical  scene  for  a  landscape  painter.  The  spring 
was  really  the  outlet  for  a  subterranean  river,  and 
flowed  forth  between  beautiful  hills  covered  with 


AN    ADVENTURE    AT   CRAWFISH   SPRINGS      367 

trees  and  flowering  bushes.  It  was  on  the  estate 
of  a  widow,  Mrs.  Gordon,  whose  fine  brick  man- 
sion stood  not  far  away.  In  the  vicinity  of  the 
spring  was  the  house  of  Lowry,  Second  Chief  of 
the  Cherokees,  and  it  was  here  that  the  Army  of 
the  Cumberland  had,  for  the  time  being,  estab- 
lished its  hospital. 

The  Confederates  had  tried  early  in  the  morn- 
ing to  cross  Chickamauga  Creek,  opposite  Lee 
and  Gordon's  Mill,  but  had  been  repulsed.  The 
LJnion  cavalry  and  infantry  were  now  stretched 
along  the  bank  of  the  stream,  while  the  enemy 
was  opposite,  and  each  was  watching  the  other 
as  a  cat  watches  a  mouse. 

"  Colonel  Lyon,  you  will  take  up  a  position 
in  the  field  next  to  this,"  said  General  McCook, 
when  the  commander  of  the  Riverlawns  reported 
with  his  two  battalions.  "  I  am  sorry  you  have 
but  eight  companies  with  you.  How  soon  do 
you  expect  the  remainder  ?  " 

"  They  will  follow  me  as  soon  as  they  can 
dispose  of  some  prisoners  we  succeeded  in 
taking." 

"Then  you  have  already  been  successfully 
engaged?" 


368  AN  UNDIVIDED   UNION 

"Yes,  General;  we  took  several  hundred  pris- 
oners." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  it,  for  we  need  some  go- 
ahead  men  here,  or  our  hospital  will  be  taken 
and  General  Rosecrans'  very  headquarters  at  the 
Widow  Glenn's  threatened.  Keep  a  careful  watch 
and  report  every  movement  the  Confederates  make." 

"  I  will  do  my  best,  General,"  answered  Colonel 
Lyon,  and  saluting,  he  galloped  off  on  his  steed. 

There  had  been  a  lull  in  the  firing,  and  now, 
when  the  Riverlawns  took  the  position  assigned 
to  them,  not  a  sight  of  a  Confederate  was  to  be 
seen.  The  stream  at  this  point  was  lined  with 
heavy  brushwood.  There  was  a  ford  above  and 
another  below,  and  there  were  numerous  spots 
where  the  banks  were  high  and  rocky.  In  one 
place  not  far  away  there  was  a  waterfall  in  the 
shape  of  a  horseshoe,  where  the  stream  made  a 
direct  descent  of  five  or  six  feet. 

Half  an  hour  went  by,  and  all  remained  quiet. 
Deck  had  thrown  himself  under  a  tree  and  par- 
taken of  some  hardtack,  some  rather  tough  beef, 
and  a  drink  of  black  coffee.  Artie  was  close 
by,  and  both  were  recounting  their  experiences 
in  a  low  tone. 


AN   ADVENTURE   AT   CRAWFISH   SPRINGS      369 

"  They  have  been  fighting  all  along  the  line, 
that's  certain,"  said  Artie.  "  We'll  hear  of  some 
astonishing  results,  to-morrow,  mark  my  words." 

"  Well,  I  trust  we  whip  them,  that's  all,"  re- 
plied Deck.  "  My  !  but  I  am  tired.  I'll  sleep 
like  a  rock  to-night,  no  doubt  of  that." 

"We'll  all  sleep  —  if  the  Johnnies  let  us,"  said 
his  brother,  laughingly.  "  I  think —  Hark  ! 
that's  pretty  heavy  firing,  eh  ?  "  He  had  broken 
off  as  a  heavy  cannonading  reached  their  ears. 
Hardly  had  the  cannons  belched  forth  than  the 
rattle  of  musketry  followed. 

The  firing  grew  heavier,  and  they  leaped  to 
their  feet,  as  if  expecting  the  tide  of  battle 
would  come  their  way.  Then,  of  a  sudden,  Artie 
pointed  to  a  spot  between  themselves  and  the 
creek. 

"  Look  !  look  !     Deck,  who  is  that  ?  " 

The  youthful  captain  had  detected  the  form 
of  a  man  moving  silently  but  swiftly  through 
the  brush  and  deep  grass.  The  man  was  dressed 
in  a  clerical  suit  of  black,  similar  to  those  worn 
by  unattached  chaplains  throughout  the  war. 

"  Whoever  it  is,  he  acts  suspicious-like,"  com- 
mented Deck.     "I  don't  like  that." 


370  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

"  No  more  do  I ;  let's  investigate,"  rejoined 
Artie,  and  they  made  after  the  individual,  who 
had  passed  in  a  direction  leading  from  them. 

A  hundred  feet  were  covered,  before  they 
caught  sight  of  the  man  in  black  again,  and 
then  he  was  squatting  behind  the  rocks,  as  if 
preparing  to  leap  into  the  stream.  But  when 
he  saw  that  they  had  discovered  him  he  kept 
away  from  the  water,  and  dove  into  the  brush 
again. 

"  I'll  wager  that  fellow  is  a  spy  !  "  ejaculated 
Deck.     "  Artie,  we  must  take  him  by  all  means  !  " 

"  I  am  with  you,"  answered  the  brother,  read- 
ily. "  Come  on,  before  he  gets  too  far  away  !  " 
and  he  started  on  a  run,  with  the  major  beside 
him.  Soon  both  were  out  of  sight  and  hearing 
of  their  commands,  and  in  the  midst  of  a  thicket, 
where  a  short  arm  of  the  creek  formed  a  cove 
surrounded  by  rocks  and  trailing  vines. 

"Do  you  see  anything  of  him  ? "  whispered 
Artie,  as  they  came  to  a  halt  beside  a  large, 
square  rock  overhanging  the  cove. 

"  No  ;  but  he  can't  be  far  off,"  answered  Deck. 
"  He  came  down  here,  I  am  almost  positive." 

They  stood  perfectly  still,  looking  to  the  right 


AN   ADVENTURE   AT   CRAWFISH    SPRINGS      371 

and  the  left,  and  then  behind  them.  Far  away 
boomed  the  cannons,  and  the  rattle  of  smaller 
arms  was  incessant ;  but  here  all  was  as  quiet 
as  a  graveyard. 

"  He's  a  sly  one,"  went  on  Artie,  after  a  long 
pause.  "  He  believes  in  playing  a  waiting  game. 
He's  a  spy  beyond  a  doubt." 

"  I  think  you  had  better  make  a  short  detour 
around  the  cove,"  said  Deck.  "  I  will  watch 
from  this  point,  to  see  that  he  doesn't  enter  the 
water  and  swim  away  on  the  sly.  Are  you  will- 
ing to  undertake  it,  Artie?" 

"  Certainly,  if  you  think  it  best,"  answered  the 
captain,  and  started  off  without  delay. 

He  was  soon  out  of  sight,  and  Deck  sat  down 
on  the  rock,  pistol  in  hand,  to  await  develop- 
ments. For  a  few  minutes  he  sat  facing  the 
water,  then  he  swung  around,  to  ascertain,  if 
possible,  what  progress  his  brother  was  making. 

As  he  turned  around,  a  form  appeared  from  the 
water  under  the  big  rock.  The  form  straight- 
ened up,  and  a  long  arm  was  thrust  forth, 
directly  at  Deck's  side.  The  hand  grasped  the 
major's  pistol,  and  in  an  instant  it  was  snatched 
from  Deck's  grasp. 


CHAPTER   XXIX 

MAJOR   LYON   REJECTS   A  PROPOSAL 

The  man  who  had  thus  suddenly  deprived 
Major  Deck  Lyon  of  his  weapon  was  the  same 
who  had  been  escaping  through  the  brush.  He 
had  dropped  into  the  water  just  as  Deck  and 
Artie  reached  the  cove,  and  a  small  hollow 
under  the  rock  had  enabled  him  to  keep  his 
head  above  water  and  hear  the  conversation 
which  passed  between  the  two  brothers. 

It  must  be  confessed  that  the  major  was  not 
dreaming  of  an  attack  at  such  close  quarters, 
and  the  pistol  left  his  hand  easily.  Before  he 
could  recover  from  his  astonishment  over  the 
changed  nature  of  affairs,  he  found  the  barrel 
of  the  weapon  pointed  straight  for  his  breast. 

"Hands  up  there,  and  keep  your  mouth 
shut,"  was  the  low  but  determined  command. 
"I  imagine  I  am  master  of  the  situation." 

"  Who  are  you  ? "  asked  Deck,  as  calmly  as 
he  could,  at  the  same  time  revolving  in  his 
372 


MAJOR   LYON   REJECTS    A   PROPOSAL         373 

mind  the  chances  of  turning  the  tables  in  his 
favor. 

"  I  am  only  asking  questions,  not  answering 
them,"  replied  the  man  in  black,  and  Deck  now 
noted  that  his  cleanly  shaven  face  was  a  truly 
intelligent  one.  "  Can  you  see  that  other 
fellow?" 

"No." 

"  Then  step  into  the  water." 

"Into  the  water?"  queried  Deck,  in  per- 
plexity. 

"  Yes,  and  do  not  make  any  noise  if  you 
value  your  life.  Major." 

There  was  no  help  for  it,  and  the  major 
stepped  from  the  brushwood  into  the  stream. 
He  was  up  to  his  knees. 

"Come  a  little  closer,  but  not  too  close," 
went  on  the  man  in  black.     "  Can  you  swim  ?  " 

"  Why  do  you  ask  that  question  ?  " 

"I  told  you  before.  Major,  that  I  was  simply 
asking  questions,  not  answering  them,"  said  the 
Confederate  spy,  for  such  the  fellow  really  was, 
"  I  repeat,  can  you  swim  ?  " 

"A  little." 

"  Can  you  swim  across  this  stream  ?  " 


374  AN    UNDIVIDED   UNION 

"Perhaps  I  can." 

"I  am  going  to  give  you  an  opportunity  to 
try.  Wade  out  ahead  of  me,  and  toward  that 
point  where  three  trees  appear  to  shoot  from 
one  trunk,"  directed  the  spy,  with  a  wave  of 
his  unoccupied  hand  forward. 

"  So  you  expect  to  take  me  along  with 
you,"  said  Deck,  steadily.  "  I  may  flatly  re- 
fuse." 

"  If  you  refuse,  you'll  never  tell  anybody. 
Major,  for  I  will  take  your  life  where  you 
stand,"  answered  the  spy,  as  coolly  as  though 
he  was  speaking  of  the  weather  or  some  equally 
commonplace  topic. 

The  young  major  did  not  doubt  but  that  he 
would  keep  his  word.  The  fellow  evidently 
knew  his  business,  and  in  coming  into  the 
Union  camp  he  had  taken  his  life  into  his 
hands.  Probably  he  had  before  this  shed 
human  life  in  the  same  cold-blooded  manner. 
To  him  the  game  of  war  was  a  science,  and 
the  end  justified  any  means. 

"  Do  you  think  I  will  make  a  valuable 
prisoner  ?  " 

"I   see   you   are   bound   to   ask   questions.      I 


MAJOR    LYON    REJECTS    A    PROPOSAL         375 

am  equally  determined  not  to  answer  them. 
Will  you  swim  or  not  ?  " 

"  I  will  swim,"  answered  Deck,  but  his  heart 
sank  as  he  uttered  the  words.  Oh,  if  only 
Artie  was  at  hand  to  put  a  bullet  through  this 
enemy's  head.  He  wanted  to  look  back,  but 
that  steady  gaze  from  the  spy's  keen  black  eyes 
deterred  him. 

In  two  minutes  the  little  cove  was  left  behind, 
and  Unionist  and  Confederate  found  themselves 
breasting  the  swiftly  flowing  waters  of  Chicka- 
mauga  Creek.  Evidently  the  spy  knew  the 
creek  well,  for  hardly  had  they  covered  ten 
yards  of  the  distance  than  Deck's  feet  struck 
on  a  sand  bar,  and  he  found  himself  wading 
along  in  water  not  above  his  waist. 

"  Take  my  advice  and  keej)  down  as  low  as 
possible,"  said  the  spy,  keeping  in  his  rear. 
"  A  head  in  this  creek  to-day  is  like  a  head  at 
Donny brook  Fair,  anybody  will  hit  it  if  it  is 
possible  to  do  so." 

"I  believe  you  there,"  answered  Deck,  and 
moved  along  with  just  his  mouth  above  the 
surface.  "  It's  mighty  slippery  walking,"  he 
continued. 


376  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

"  Which  means  that  you  will  slip  and  escape 
if  you  can,  Major.  Don't  try  it,  for  it  will  be 
your  corpse  that  floats  to  yonder  falls,"  was  the 
reply,  which  made  Deck's  flesh  creep.  The  spy 
was  certainly  the  most  cold-blooded  fellow  for 
such  a  proceeding  he  had  ever  encountered. 

Deck  wanted  to  look  back,  and  as  a  slight 
splash  announced  that  his  follower  Ijad  taken  a 
misstep,  he  did  so,  taking  in  the  shore  at  one 
searching  glance.  Nobody  appeared  within  his 
range  of  vision,  and  again  his  heart  went  down 
into  his  boots.  Evidently  he  was  booked  for  a 
Confederate  prison  as  fast  as  the  spy  could  get 
him  there. 

About  three-quarters  of  the  distance  to  the 
opposite  shore  was  passed,  and  Deck  was  losing 
all  hope,  when  a  distant  pistol  shot  rang  out, 
coming  from  behind  them.  Artie  had  dis- 
covered two  heads  and  an  arm  bobbing  above 
water,  and  his  field-glasses  had  apprised  him 
of  the  true  situation.  He  had  fired  on  the  spy, 
but  the  bullet  flew  several  inches  wide  of  its 
mark. 

"  Call  to  that  fellow  to  stop  shooting,  or  it 
will   mean   your    death,"    ordered    the   spy,    and 


MAJOR   LYON    REJECTS    A   PROPOSAL         377 

Deck  now  understood  why  the  Confederate  had 
desired  him  to  bear  him  company  over  the  stream. 

As  the  major  had  no  desire  to  be  shot,  he 
promptly  called  to  Artie.  Whether  or  not  his 
brother  understood  him  clearly  he  could  not 
tell,  but  no  more  shots  followed.  In  a  few  min- 
utes, both  the  spy  and  Deck  were  in  a  safe 
place,  behind  a  heavy  clump  of  bushes. 

"  Halt  !  "  came  the  command,  from  not  far 
away,  and  a  Confederate  picket  appeared,  hold- 
ing his  gun  ready  for  use.  He  was  ragged  and 
dusty,  but  ready  for  business,  as  his  determined 
face  showed.     "  Have  you  the  countersign  ?  " 

"  I  have  that  of  three  days  ago,"  answered 
the  spy,  and  advancing,  he  gave  it,  and  also 
brought  forth  a  slip  of  paper  which  the  picket 
examined  with  interest.  The  corporal  of  the 
guard  was  called,  and  he  took  both  of  the  new- 
comers in  charge. 

An  examination  in  a  tent  pitched  some  dis- 
tance back  from  the  stream  evidently  proved 
satisfactory  to  several  officers  present,  and  the 
spy  was  allowed  to  proceed  on  his  way,  and 
much  to  Deck's  astonishment  he  was  asked  to 
come  along. 


378         -  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

"  Are  you  going  to  take  me  to  the  prisoner's 
camp  ?  "  asked  Deck,  as  they  walked  away. 

"We  will  talk  about  that  later,  Major.  By 
the  way,  what  is  your  name  ?  " 

"Major  Dexter  Lyon." 

"Well,  Major  Lyon,  I  presume  you  do  not 
relish  being  a  prisoner  ?  " 

"  Hardly,  Captain  Brentford." 

"  I  see  you  caught  my  name  up  to  the  tent. 
It  saves  me  the  trouble  of  introducing  myself. 
I  am  Captain  Brentford,  of  General  Bragg's 
stafe." 

"  I  presume  you  gained  considerable  informa- 
tion while  inside  the  Union  lines,"  went  on 
Deck,  curiously. 

"  I  did  gain  a  good  deal,  but  not  as  much 
as  one  would  wish.  Your  fellows  are  pretty 
close-mouthed.  I  must  give  them  credit  for  it. 
I  wish  I  could  say  as  much  for  our  gallant  boys 
of  the  South." 

"  I  don't  suppose  it  will  do  me  any  good  to 
ask  where  you  have  been." 

"  Oh,  I  won't  mind  telling  you,  now  we  are 
over  here.  I  have  been  up  to  the  Widow 
Glenn's    house." 


MAJOR   LYOS"  REJECTS   A   PROPOSAL         379 

"  To  General  Rosecrans'  headquarters  ! " 
gasped   Deck,    in    consternation. 

"  I  see  it  almost  overwhelms  you  to  think  a 
Southern  spy  could  get  close  to  Union  head- 
quarters. A  clever  trick  did  it  —  a  trick  I 
learned  when  I  was  in  the  detective  bureau  at 
Washington." 

"You  impersonated  one  of  our'officers?" 

"Exactly.  The  poor  fellow  was  dead,  and 
I  donned  his  coat  and  hat,  fixed  up  my  face  to 
suit,  and  took  his  place  for  ten  hours.  It  was 
tough  on  the  dead  officer,  but  he  will  never 
make  a  kick." 

"  I  believe  you  killed  him,"  said  Deck,  bluntly. 

A  frown  crossed  the  face  of  Captain  Brent- 
ford. "  We  will  let  that  pass.  Major  Lyon  ;  it 
will  do  no  good  for  us  to  say  things  which  are 
unpleasant.  I  want  you  to  look  at  something 
else." 

"  Look  at  something  else  ?  " 

"  Your  own  personal  position.  Do  you  realize 
the  nasty  situation  you  are  in  ? " 

"Having  heard  of  the  horrors  of  your  South- 
ern prisons,  I  think  I  do." 

"It  is  my  duty  to  hand  you  over  to  the  offi- 


380  AN    UNDIVIDED   UNION 

cers  at  the  prisoners'  camp,  a  mile  or  so  from 
here." 

"I  suppose  you  will  do  your  duty." 

"•  To  make  a  prisoner  of  such  a  young  and 
promising  fellow  as  yourself  seems  a  great  pity." 

"  I  am  willing  to  take  what  comes,  as  the 
fortunes  of  war,"  replied  Deck,  who  did  not 
propose  to  be  led  into  showing  the  white  feather, 
especially  in  front  of  such  a  coldly  polished  ras- 
cal as  Captain  Brentford  appeared  to  be. 

"  Are  you  willing  to  be  sent  to  prison,  to  lan- 
guish there  until  the  close  of  this  struggle  ?  " 

"  I  am  willing  to  submit  to  that  which  I  can- 
not alter." 

"Ah,  that  is  more  like  it."  Captain  Brent- 
ford looked  around,  to  see  that  nobody  was  in 
sight.  "  Major  Lyon,  I  am  tired,  let  us  sit 
under  yonder  tree  for  a  few  minutes  and  rest." 

"  I  don't  care  much  to  rest  in  these  wet 
clothes.     I  may  take  cold." 

"  You  are  no  wetter  than  myself.  I  think 
it  may  pay  you  to  take  the  rest  I  propose." 

"  If  you  order  a  rest,  I  cannot  do  anything 
but  obey.  Captain  Brentford,"  concluded  Deck, 
and  walked  to  the  spot  indicated. 


MAJOR   LYON    REJECTS    A    PROPOSAL         381 

At  the  tent  where  they  had  stopped,  his  coat 
had  been  wrung  out  for  him  and  his  boots 
emptied,  so  he  was  not  so  badly  off  as  might  be 
supposed,  although  far  from  as  comfortable  as 
he  would  have  been  had  his  garments  been  dry. 
He  was  now  totally  unarmed,  even  his  sabre, 
extra  pistol,  and  pocket  knife  having  been  taken 
from  him.  In  addition  to  this  his  hands  had 
been  tied  loosely  together  behind  his  back. 

There  was  a  large,  flat  rock  under  the  tree 
designated,  and  Deck  deposited  himself  on  this, 
in  the  shelter  of  the  slight  breeze  that  was 
blowing.  The  captain  took  up  a  position  oppo- 
site, so  that  he  had  a  square  view  of  his  prison- 
er's face. 

"  Major  Lyon,  I  think  I  am  safe  in  making 
you  a  proposal,"  he  began,  after  a  moment's 
pause. 

"  What  sort  of  a  proposal.  Captain  Brentford  ?  " 

"  I  think  you  would  rather  recross  the  creek 
and  join  your  command  than  go  ahead  to  where 
I  am  to  take  you." 

"That  goes  without  saying." 

"  Exactly.  And  that  being  so,  supposing  we 
try  to  come  to  terms." 


382  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

"  I  must  confess  I  don't  understand  you,"  said 
Deck,  much  f)uzzled  by  his  captor's  words. 

"  It  is  too  bad  that  I  must  speak  plainer. 
You  wish  to  return  to  the  Union  lines.  Very 
well,  what  is  it  worth  to  you  ?  " 

"Worth  to  me?" 

"  That  is  what  I  said.  I  am  a  plain-spoken 
man,  and  to  me  a  spade  is  a  spade  and  not  an 
instrument  for  upturning  the  soil." 

"But  I  don't  understand  you.  Captain  Brent- 
ford. If  you  mean  what  is  it  worth  in  money, 
let  me  state  that  I  am  not  worth  ten  dollars, 
all  told,  at  the  present  moment." 

"I  know  exactly  what  you  have  in  your 
pocket,  a  five  dollar  goldpiece  and  four  dollars 
in  United  States  scrip  that  won't  be  worth  any- 
thing after  the  Confederacy  gets  done  with  the 
North." 

"  Then  what  are  you  driving  at  ?  " 

"  You  have  something  else  about  you  which 
might  prove  of  far  more  value  to  me  than 
money." 

"  And  that  is  —  "  began  Deck,  hesitatingly. 

"  Information.     Now  do  you  understand  ?  " 

The   cat    was  out  of   the   bag,  and  the  major 


MAJOR  LYON  REJECTS  A  PROPOSAL    383 

drew  a  long  breath.  At  the  same  time  a  look 
of  deep  scorn  came  into  his  loyal  eyes. 

"  So  you  wish  me  to  buy  my  liberty  through 
what  information  I  may  be  able  to  give  you 
concerning  the  Union  troops  and  their  proposed 
movements  ?  "  he  said  slowly. 

"I  did  not  put  it  that  way." 

"You  suggested  it,  then." 

"  We  will  let  it  stand  at  that."  Captain 
Brentford's  face  took  on  a  sharp  look.  "What 
do  you  say  to  it  ?  " 

"  I  say,  Captain  Brentford,  that  you  are  a 
scoundrel  to  suggest  such  a  thing  to  me." 

"  A  scoundrel !  " 

"Yes,  a  scoundrel.  Perhaps,  were  you  placed 
as  I  am  placed,  you  would  barter  your  very  soul 
to  gain  your  liberty ;  I  am  made  of  different 
stuff  —  and  I  thank  God  for  it  !  "  answered 
Deck,  with  all  the  fervor  of  his  patriotic  heart. 

"  Don't  get  on  §,  high  horse.  Major,  it  will  do 
you  no  good." 

"  I  mean  what  I  say,  and  I  shall  stick  to  it. 
Try  yoar  best,  you'll  get  no  military  informa- 
tion out  of  me." 

"  You  forget  that  your  very  life  is  in  my  hands." 


384  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

"I  forget  nothing,"  Deck  replied,  but  a  cold 
chill  crept  down  his  backbone,  as  he  looked 
into  those  black  eyes,  now  blazing  like  those 
of  a  snake.  "  I  do  not  doubt  but  that  you 
would  kill  me,  as  jon  killed  that  officer  at  Gen- 
eral Rosecrans'  headquarters,  if  you  saw  fit  to 
do  so." 

"  I  would  kill  you  if  I  thought  it  in  the  line 
of  my  duty.  I  was  sent  forth  by  General 
Bragg  to  obtain  certain  information,  and  to 
obtain  it  at  any  cost.  I  propose  to  obey  orders. 
As  a  major  in  the  Union  cavalry  you  must 
know  certain  things,  and  you  have  got  to  tell 
me  —  or  take  the  consequences.  We  will  finish 
this  business  before  we  stir  another  step,"  an- 
swered Captain  Brentford,  and  again  took  up 
his  pistol,  which  he  had  allowed  to  drop  into 
his  lap. 

For  the  instant  Deck  knew  not  how  to  reply. 
A  nameless  dread  took  possesion  of  him,  as 
he  realized  how  helpless  he  was,  unarmed,  and 
with  his  hands  tied  behind  him.  He  looked 
up  the  road,  and  just  then  the  sounds  of  rapid 
hoof-strokes  reached  his  ears. 


CHAPTER   XXX 

A   FRIEND   IN   NEED 

Captain  Brentford  had  tried  to  bribe 
Major  Deck  Lyon  into  telling  all  he  kneAv  con- 
cerning the  Union  army's  proposed  movements, 
and  had  failed.  He  now  proposed  to  wring 
the  information  out  of  the  major  at  the  point 
of  the  pistol. 

It  was  an  alarming  situation,  and  Deck  was 
more  than  glad  to  hear  the  hoof-strokes  of 
horses  approaching.  He  felt  the  horsemen  must 
be  Confederate  cavalrymen,  but  just  now  any- 
body was  to  be  preferred  to  nobody,  to  step 
between  himself  and  the  cold-blooded  spy. 

"  Get  up  and  pass  behind  yonder  bushes  !  " 
ordered  Captain  Brentford,  hastil3%  for  he,  too, 
had  heard  the  sounds  on  the  road. 

Deck  arose,  but  did  it  very  slowly.  A  long 
look  up  the  narrow  highway  brought  to  view 
eight  cavalrymen,  riding  at  top  speed  toward 
them. 

385 


386  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

"  Did  you  hear  what  I  said  ?  Get  behind 
yonder  bushes  !  "   cried  the  spy,  impatiently. 

"  I  heard  what  you  said,"  answered  Deck, 
and  all  the  while  he  was  doing  a  tremendous 
deal  of  thinking. 

"  Then  why  don't  you  obey  me  ?  Do  you 
want  to  be  shot  ?  " 

"  Would  you  dare  to  shoot  me,  Captain  Brent- 
ford ?  " 

"I  would,  and  I  will,  unless  you  get  behind 
the  bushes  at  once." 

With  slow  steps  the  major  moved  toward  the 
brush  indicated.  Nearer  and  nearer  came  the 
horsemen,  until  the  leader  was  less  than  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  feet  away.  Then,  without  warn- 
ing, Deck  took  to  his  heels,  running  straight 
for  the  cavalry,  who  were  strung  along  in  a 
column  of  twos. 

Almost  overcome  with  rage  and  chagrin.  Cap- 
tain Brentford  raised  his  pistol.  But  the  major 
had  calculated  well,  and  the  spy  did  not  dare 
to  fire  for  fear  of  missing  his  mark  and  striking 
one  of  the  cavalrymen.  In  less  than  half  a  min- 
ute the  opportunity  for  shooting  was  gone,  for 
the   cavalry   halted   with    Deck   in   their    midst, 


A   FRIEND    IN   NEED  387 

and  the  captain  put  up  liis  weapon  and  strode 
forward.  As  soon  as  he  caught  sight  of  the 
major,  one  of  the  riders  in  the  rear  uttered  an 
exclamation  of  astonishment,  but  this  failed  to 
attract  Deck's  notice. 

"  Well,  what  does  this  mean  ? "  demanded 
the  leader  of  the  cavalry,  eying  Deck,  sternly. 
"  Are  you  a  Union  spy  ?  " 

"No,  I  am  simply  a  prisoner  of  war,  Major," 
answered  Deck,  noting  the  shoulder  straps  of 
the  other.  "  Here  is  a  spy,"  and  he  indicated 
Captain  Brentford. 

"  Hullo  !  Captain  Brentford  !  "  exclaimed  the 
Confederate  major.  "Are  you  on  business  in 
this  neighborhood  ?  " 

"I  just  came  through  the  lines,  Major  Col- 
lins," answered  the  spy,  coldly,  and  Deck  saw 
at  once  that  for  some  reason  there  was  no  love 
lost  between  the  two  Confederate  officers. 

"  And  what  of  this  man  here  ?  " 

"I  could  not  escape  without  him  very  well, 
so  I  brought  him  along.  I  reported  to  Major 
Dowlney,  and  he  said  I  might  turn  the  fellow 
over  to  the  officers  of  Breckinridge's  com- 
mand." 


388  AN"  rNDIVIDED    UNION 

"  It  is  odd  you  are  conducting  him  over  the 
road  on  foot  in  this  fashion." 

"  I  woukl  like  to  put  in  a  word  of  explanation, 
Major  Collins,"  interrupted  Deck,  who  had  lis- 
tened closely  to  what  was  said. 

"  What  is  it  you  wish  to  say  ?  " 

"  I  would  like  to  be  placed  under  a  regular 
guard  of  two  or  three  men." 

"  For  what  reason  ?  " 

Major  Lyon  looked  at  Captain  Brentford,  who 
grew  first  red  and  then  white.  He  felt  his  posi- 
tion was  a  delicate  one.  An  exposure  of  the 
spy's  treatment  of  him  might  only  cause  him 
more  trouble.  Fortunately  Captain  Brentford 
came  to  the  rescue  himself. 

"  I  would  be  only  too  glad  to  turn  the  fellow 
over  to  you.  Major  Collins.  He  has  caused  me 
a  great  deal  of  trouble." 

"  And  I  do  not  deem  that  he  has  treated  me  as 
a  prisoner  should  be  treated,"  added  Deck.  "  But 
I  am  willing  to  let  the  matter  rest,  —  provid- 
ing I  can  have  another  escort  to  the  prisoners' 
camp." 

Major  Collins  looked  first  at  Deck  and  then  at 
the  spy. 


A   FRIEND    IN    NEED  389 

"  Has  this  man  threatened  you  ?  "  he  demanded 
of  the  young  Union  officer. 

"  He  was  very  anxious  to  get  information  out 
of  me." 

"  I  repeat,  did  he  threaten  you,  Major  ?  " 

"He  told  me  that  I  must  tell  him  certain  things 
or  take  the  consequences,  and  he  had  his  pistol  in 
his  hand  while  he  spoke." 

"  And  you  were  as  helpless  as  you  are  now  ?  " 

"I  was." 

"  It  is  a  falsehood  I  "  burst  from  Captain  Brent- 
ford's lips.  "  He  wanted  to  buy  me  off  —  offered 
me  "a  thousand  dollars  if  I  would  help  him  to  get 
back  over  the  river." 

"  I  stand  by  what  I  said,"  went  on  Deck,  his 
face  flushing.  "I  haven't  a  thousand  cents  to 
offer  any  one." 

Major  Collins  looked  from  one  to  the  other. 
Had  he  and  the  spy  been  friendly  he  might  have 
sided  with  the  man,  but  as  there  was  no  love  lost 
between  them,  he  was  inclined  to  favor  Deck. 
Moreover,  he  was  a  fellow  who  could  read  char- 
acter pretty  thoroughly,  and  the  young  Union 
officer's  open  face  appealed  strongly  to  him. 

"  I  will  take  charge  of    the  prisoner.  Captain 


390  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION" 

Brentford,"  he  said  quietly.  "  Surely  if  all  is 
right,  you  will  be  glad  to  get  him  off  your 
hands." 

"  I  am  glad  to  be  free  of  him,"  growled  the 
spy,  but  his  looks  belied  his  words. 

"  I  will  detail  three  of  my  men  to  conduct  him 
to  General  Breckinridge's  camp,"  went  on  the 
Confederate  major. 

"  I  will  go  along." 

"That  will  not  be  necessary." 

"  All  right,  —  please  yourself.  I  presume  I 
can  turn  him  over  to  you  immediately." 

"  On  the  spot,"  was  the  quiet  answer ;  and 
saluting  stiffly.  Captain  Brentford,  scowling  at 
both  of  the  majors,  withdrew,  and  walked 
rapidly  along  the  road. 

In  a  few  words  Deck  told  his  story.  Major 
Collins  listening  eagerly.  Then  three  men  were 
counted  off  to  escort  the  Union  officer  to  the 
prisoners'  camp.  Among  the  three  was  the  man 
who  had  been  so  surprised  on  first  catching  sight 
of  Deck.  Several  times  he  was  on  the  point  of 
speaking  to  the  young  major,  but  each  time  he 
changed  his  mind. 

The  horsemen  did  not  wish  to  spend  any  more 


A   FRIEND   IN   NEED  391 

time  than  was  necessary  in  conveying  Deck  to 
the  prisoners'  camp,  and  so  the  leader  told  the 
major  to  mount  behind  him.  "It  will  be  better 
nor  running,  and  that  is  what  you'll  have  to 
do  if  you  remain  on  foot,"  he  said. 

The  course  of  the  four  riders  was  along  a 
side  road  and  past  half  a  dozen  plantations, 
the  fields  of  which  had  been  much  cut  up  by 
detachments  of  Wheeler's  cavalry,  operating  in 
that  territory.  The  man  who  had  Deck  with 
him  rode  side  by  side  with  one  of  the  other 
cavalrymen,  while  the  fellow  who  seemed  to 
have  recognized  Deck  rode  in  the  rear. 

"  It's  hard  lines,  Major,  but  I  reckon  you're 
bound  for  one  of  our  prisons  right  enough," 
observed  the  leader,  as  they  trotted  along. 

"  Fortune  of  war,"  said  the  young  Union  offi- 
cer, as  lightly  as  he  could. 

"But  you  don't  like  it?" 

"To  be  sure  not." 

"  Married  ?  " 

"No." 

"That's  one  consolation  —  if  you  die  on  our 
hands,"  and  the  man  laughed  at  what  he  con- 
sidered a  joke. 


392  AN    UNDIVIDED   UNION 

"  I  shan't  die  on  yonr  hands,  if  I  can  help 
it." 

"  Oh,  I  suppose  —  But  I've  heard  a  good  many 
of  'em  do  die ;  can't  stand  this  balmy  Southern 
air." 

"  I  think  it  is  more  likely  they  can't  stand 
your  poor  food  and  foul  prisons." 

"  Our  prisons  are  about  as  good  as  those  up 
North,  I  reckon.  Major.  I  had  a  cousin  die  up 
in  New  York  somewhere  —  Elmira  I  think  they 
called  the  lock-up.  Reckon  he  was  about 
starved." 

"  I  trust  you  are  mistaken.  It  would  not  be 
fair  to  starve  anybody  on  either  side." 

At  this  the  leader  of  the  Confederate  detach- 
ment grunted,  and  said  no  more.  But  presently 
he  grew  tired  of  his  load  and  turned  to  the 
man  riding  in  the  rear. 

"Tom,  supposin'  you  take  the  prisoner  for 
a  while  ?  "  he  observed. 

"  Just  as  you  say,  Messinger.  Is  he  bound 
tight?" 

"Tight  enough,  I  reckon." 

"All  right,  come  right  along,"  said  the  man 
in   the   rear,  and  happy  to  think  he  might  con- 


A   FRIEND   IN   NEED  393 

tinue  to  ride  instead  of  walk,  Deck  transferred 
himself  from  the  rear  of  one  horse  to  the  rear 
of  the  other. 

The  man  in  front  of  him  had  spoken  in  a 
hoarse  voice,  as  if  he  was  suffering  from  a  cold, 
yet  the  voice  appeared  to  be  more  or  less  familiar. 
Deck  tried,  after  mounting,  to  get  a  view  of  the 
cavalryman's  face,  but  it  was  kept  away  from 
him. 

Inside  of  quarter  of  an  hour  the  party  began 
to  climb  a  small  hill.  The  road  was  winding, 
and  lined  with  brush  and  rocks.  At  the  top 
of  the  eminence  stood  an  old  stone  mansion, 
and  here  the  road  split  into  three  trails,  one 
running  straight  on,  and  the  others  branching 
out  at  angles  of  forty-five  degrees.  Between 
the  centre  road  and  that  to  the  left,  stood  the 
house,  while  near  the  trail  on  the  right  was 
located  a  large  cattle  shed  and  corn-crib. 

"  I  reckon  we  can  stop  here  for  something  to 
eat,"  observed  Messinger,  turning  to  his  two 
companions. 

"  If  we  can  get  it,"  answered  the  man  who 
had  been  riding  beside  him. 

"  I  will   give   a   quarter   in   silver  for  a  glass 


394  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

of  milk,"  said  Deck.  "  The  money  is  in  my 
left  pocket.  You  might  as  well  take  a  dollar 
bill  if  it  can  be  used  here." 

"  It  won't  go  —  and  I  wouldn't  tech  it,"  cried 
Messinger.  "  Come  on,  Chador,  and  we'll  see 
what  we  can  get.  Tom,  you  had  better  remain 
here  with  the  prisoner." 

"  Just  as  you  say,  Messinger,  Don't  you  try 
to  git  away  from  me,"  the  latter  words  to  Deck, 
spoken  with  great  fierceness. 

"■  If  he  tries  to  run  for  it,  shoot  him  dead," 
ordered  Messinger,  carelessly,  and  dismounting, 
he  walked  toward  the  house,  and  Chador  fol- 
lowed his  suit. 

The  two  Confederates  had  scarcely  disap- 
peared than  the  man  sitting  in  front  of  Deck 
turned  his  head  so  that  he  could  look  over  his 
shoulder.  ' 

"Major  Lyon,  listen  to  me,"  he  said  earnestly. 
"•  You  don't  remember  me,  because  I've  let  my 
beard  grow,  and  I'm  dressed  differently  from 
what  I  was  when  we  met  before.  We  met  at 
McMinnville,  where  you  risked  your  life  to  save 
mine,  in  a  burning  cotton  mill.  I  am  Tom 
Derwiddie,  and  I  swore  that  if  ever  I  could  do 


A   FRIEND   IN   NEED  395 

you  a  good  turn  I  would  do  it.  I  reckon  that 
time  has  come.  Do  you  want  to  get  away,  or 
rather,  are  you  willing  to  take  the  risk  ?  " 

"  Derwiddie  !  "  gasped  Deck,  a  flood  of  light 
bursting  in  on  him.  "  Yes,  I  wish  to  get  away, 
if  it  can  be  done.     But  your  duty  —  *' 

"  Is  to  help  the  man  as  saved  my  life.  You 
are  not  a  spy,  are  you  ?  " 

"I  am  not." 

"  And  if  I  help  you  to  get  away,  you  will  try 
to  get  back  to  the  Union  lines  without  delaying 
to  pick  up  information." 

"I  will  go  as  straight  back  as  I  can  make  it 
—  I'll  give  you  my  word  of   honor,  Derwiddie." 

"  Then  I  won't  be  acting  wrong  in  giving 
you  a  free  rein.  Now  to  my  plan  —  it's  been 
in  my  head  this  last  half  hour.  First,  take  my 
pistol." 

"  Yes,  but  you  —  " 

"  Now  let  me  untie  that  rope  on  your  hands," 
interrupted  Derwiddie,  cutting  the  prisoner 
short.  "We  haven't  a  moment  to  spare.  They 
may  come  back  at  any  moment.  Remember, 
you  are  to  take  all  three  horses." 

"All  three?" 


396  AN   UNDIVIDED  UNION 

"  Yes,  all  three.  So  that  they  will  have  a 
job  to  follow  you." 

"But  yourself?" 

"I  will  fall  into  the  road,  knocked  out  by 
you." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  you  want  me  to  knock 
you  out  ? "  demanded  Deck,  who  thought  that 
his  newly  discovered  friend  was  "going  it  rather 
strong." 

"  I  will  do  the  deed,  if  you  feel  backward 
about  it,"  answered  Tom  Derwiddie,  modestly. 

"  I  certainly  do  feel  backward,  if  that  is  what 
you  are  going  to  call  it.  You  are  by  far  too 
much  of  a  friend  to  be  touched." 

"  But  I  must  be  knocked  out,  or  my  record 
won't  bear  investigation.  Major  Lyon.  Are  you 
ready  to  gallop  away  on  this  horse  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  answered  Deck,  promptly. 

"All  right,  and  don't  forget  to  take  those 
animals  with  you  —  at  least  for  a  ways."  The 
Confederate  hesitated.  "  If  I  give  you  the  pass- 
word, will  you  promise  to  use  it  only  to  get 
away  on  ?  " 

"  I  will,  and  do." 

The    countersign   was    then    given,    and    Der- 


A   FRIEND   IN   NEED  397 

widdie  looked  again  toward  the  house.  Not  a 
soul  was  in  sight. 

"  Give  me  a  small  craick  on  the  forehead  with 
that  pistol  !  "  he  cried.  "  Right  there  !  "  and  he 
indicated  the  spot  over  his  left  eye,  at  the  same 
time  scratching  it  sufficiently  hard  to  draw  blood. 
"  Now,  strike  —  and  good  luck  go  with  you  !  " 

Deck  understood,  and  with  his  heart  in  his 
throat,  struck  out  lightly.  As  the  pistol  landed 
on  Derwiddie's  forehead,  he  threw  up  his  arms 
and  reeled  from  the  saddle.  Pretending  to 
stagger  for  a  moment,  he  finally  pitched  head- 
long on  the  rocks.  He  was  far  from  overcome, 
but  he  lay  like  a  log  where  he  had  fallen. 

The  drama  was  on  and  the  major  did  not 
waste  an  instant  in  making  the  scene  move 
along.  Urging  the  horse  to  where  the  other 
animals  were  standing,  he  gathered  up  the  reins 
and  placed  one  beast  on  either  side  of  him. 
Then,  with  his  pistol  ready  for  use,  he  started 
on  a  wild  ride  down  the  trail  leading  past  the 
corn-crib.  He  had  covered  less  than  a  hundred 
and  fifty  yards  when  a  cry  from  the  house  told 
him  that  his  flight  was  discovered. 


CHAPTER   XXXI 

THROUGH  THE   ENEMY's   LINES 

The  turn  of  affairs  had  been  so  sudden  that 
Major  Deck  Lyon  had  had  hardly  time  enough 
to  arrange  any  plan  for  escaping,  now  the 
chance  to  get  away  was  presented.  Up  to  the 
time  Tom  Derwiddie  had  spoken  to  him  so 
confidentially  he  had  not  dreamed  that  he  had 
a  friend  so  close  at  hand  and  one  who  was  will- 
ing to  do  so  much  for  him.  Saving  the  Con- 
federate's life  at  the  burning  cotton  mill  had 
been  a  generous  action  that  was  bearing  splen- 
did fruit,  of  which  the  major  was  destined  to 
reap  the  full  benefit. 

Deck  had  no  idea  where  the  road  he  was 
taking  led  to,  but  he  imagined  that  it  would 
take  him  into  the  forest  some  distance  beyond, 
and  the  shelter  of  this  heavy  growth  of  timber 
would  be  far  more  acceptable  than  would  be  a 
pursuit  in  the  open. 

398 


THROUGH   THE   ENEMY'S   LINES  399 

Fortunately,  the  three  horses  were  used  to 
travelling  together,  so  there  was  no  hitch  here, 
and  the  speed  made  by  all  three  was  very  good. 
When  the  corn-crib  was  passed,  Deck  found  him- 
self passing  through  a  stubble  field,  but  this  was 
less  than  two  hundred  yards  in  length. 

But,  short  as  was  the  distance,  it  was  not  yet 
fully  covered,  when  Messinger  appeared  at  the 
doorway  of  the  farmhouse  and  gave  the  alarm. 
He  could  not  see  Derwiddie  lying  on  the  ground, 
but  he  could  see  Deck,  and  without  pausing  to 
think  twice,  he  raised  his  pistol  and  fiyed  several 
shots  in  rapid  succession. 

Had  the  distance  been  less,  or  had  Deck  been 
standing  still,  he  might  have  been  seriously 
wounded,  for  the  second  shot  glanced  along  his 
thigh  and  struck  the  horse  he  was  riding  in 
the  fore-quarter.  The  horse  staggered  and  fell, 
and  it  was  only  by  a  quick  leap  that  the  young 
Union  officer  saved  himself  from  being  trampled 
under  the  beast's  hoofs. 

Alarmed  by  the  injury  to  their  mate,  the  re- 
maining horses  gave  a  snort  and  a  bound  and 
started  to  run.  Deck  tried  to  hold  them,  but 
was  taken  off  his  feet.     Rather  than  be  dragged 


400  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

along  the  ground,  he  released  the  reins,  and  like 
a  flash  the  two  animals  left  him  to  his  fate. 

All  this  had  taken  less  time  than  it  takes  to 
relate  it.  Seeing  the  effect  of  his  shot,  Messin- 
ger  yelled  to  Chador,  and  both  ran  forth  from 
the  house  on  a  dead  run,  straight  for  where 
Deck  lay. 

As  the  major  sprang  up,  bruised  and  covered 
with  dust,  he  realized  that  a  crisis  was  at  hand 
and  that  he  must  do  something  or  stand  the 
chance  of  recapture.  Luckily  he  had  retained 
hold  of  the  pistol  Derwiddie  had  given  him,  and 
raising  this  he  fired  on  Messinger,  who  was  sev- 
eral yards  in  advance  of  his  companion. 

As  we  know,  Deck  had  practised  a  good  deal 
with  a  pistol,  and  although  the  present  weapon 
was  not  of  the  latest  pattern,  it  could  shoot 
straight,  and  Deck's  aim  was  as  correct  as  the 
shooting  qualities  of  the  firearm.  The  crack  of 
the  pistol  had  hardly  died  away  than  Messinger 
gave  a  yell  and  began  to  dance  around  in  awful 
anguish,  the  bullet  having  taken  off  the  thumb 
and  first  finger  of  his  left  hand  and  cut  a  path 
over  two  of  his  ribs. 

Seeing  his  companion  struck,  Chador  came  to 


THROUGH   THE   ENEMY'S   LINES  401 

a  sudden  halt ;  and  when  Deck  prepared  to  fire 
again,  the  cavalryman  lost  no  time  in  seeking  the 
shelter  of  a  slight  rise  of  ground  in  the  centre  of 
the  stubble  field.  He  threw  himself  flat,  and  then 
Messinger  did  the  same. 

"  I  wonder  where  Tom  is  ?  "  asked  Chador,  as 
he  looked  ahead,  to  see  that  Deck  had  turned 
once  more  and  was  speeding  toward  the  woods. 

"  I  don't  know,"  groaned  the  leader  of  the  Con- 
federates. "  Oh,  my  hand !  I  must  go  back  to 
the  house  and  have  it  attended  to."  And  he 
started  back,  having,  for  the  time  being,  lost  all 
interest  in  going  after  the  escaping  prisoner. 

Unwilling  to  make  the  pursuit  alone,  especially 
in  the  face  of  what  had  occurred,  Chador  con- 
cluded to  fill  in  his  time  hunting  up  Derwiddie. 
At  the  fork  in  the  road  he  found  the  man  lying 
where  he  had  fallen,  the  blood  covering  his  fore- 
head and  one  cheek. 

"  By  gum  !  he's  knocked  out  sure  !  "  exclaimed 
Chador  ;  and,  getting  down,  he  placed  his  hand  to 
Derwiddie's  heart.  Of  course  it  beat  as  strongly 
as  ever,  and,  learning  this,  Chador  ran  for  some 
water.  As  soon  as  the  water  was  being  used, 
Derwiddie  began  to  groan  and  opened  his  eyes. 


402  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

"  Where  —  where  is  he  ?  "  he  moaned. 

"  He  got  away,"  answered  Chador.  "  How  did 
it  happen  ?  " 

"  Don't  ask  me,"  moaned  Derwiddie.  "  Oh, 
the  villain  !  Where  is  Messinger  ?  Why  don't 
you  stop  him  ?  " 

"Messinger  is  shot  in  the  hand,  and  the  fel- 
low skipped  for  the  wood.  I  see  he  took  your 
pistol." 

"That's  so."  Derwiddie  gave  another  groan. 
"  Carry  me  to  the  house,  will  you,  Bob  ?  Oh, 
what  an  upsetting  all  around !  " 

Chador  took  up  the  man  supposed  to  be 
"knocked  out,"  and  soon  had  him  comfortable 
on  a  lounge  in  the  sitting  room  of  the  farmhouse. 
In  the  meantime,  Messinger  was  having  two  women 
folks  care  for  his  injured  hand.  When  he  felt 
better,  Derwiddie  told  a  long  story  of  Deck's  at- 
tack on  him.  "  He  was  as  strong  as  an  ox,  I 
couldn't  do  anything  with  him,"  he  said ;  and  he 
likewise  declared  himself  altogether  too  weak  to 
take  part  in  any  pursuit,  so  Chador  was  despatched 
to  give  the  alarm  to  any  soldiers  or  cavalry  he 
might  run  across  in  the  neighborhood. 

As  -soon  as  Messinger  and  Chador  fell  in  the 


THROUGH    THE    ENEMY'S    LINES  403 

stubble  field,  Major  Lyon  turned  and  continued 
on  his  way  to  the  forest.  The  timber  was  soon 
reached,  and,  without  loss  of  time,  he  made  his 
way  among  the  trees  for  a  distance  of  several 
hundred  feet.  Deeming  himself  now  safe  for 
the  time  being,  he  sat  down  on  a  fallen  log  to 
catch  his  breath  and  consider  what  would  be  the 
next  best  move  to  make. 

The  darkness  of  night  was  beginning  to  fall 
over  the  vast  battlefield ;  and  under  the  trees 
with  their  dense  foliage,  but  little  could  be  seen. 
Deck  listened  attentively,  but  the  only  sounds 
which  reached  his  ears  were  the  shrill  cries  of 
the  birds,  who  were  terrorized  by  the  long-con- 
tinued booming  of  cannons  and  sharp  cracking  of 
musketry.  Occasionally  the  roar  of  a  battery 
could  be  heard,  or  a  shot  from  the  creek ;  but 
these  were  gradually  dying  away  altogether,  for 
both  armies  were  worn  out  through  fighting  and 
because  of  forced  marches  over  the  uneven 
ground,  and  they  were  willing  to  leave  the  re- 
mainder of  the  contest  for  another  day. 

Deck  felt  that  his  position  was  very  trying, 
for  more  reasons  than  one  would  readily  imagine. 
In  the  first  place,  the  wood  was  large  and  dense, 


404  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

and  wild  animals  were  still  to  be  hunted  there,  — 
and  they  occasionally  did  a  little  hunting  on  their 
own  account.  To  meet  a  wildcat  or  a  bear,  or 
even  a  rattlesnake,  would  prove  far  from  an 
agreeable  experience. 

The  wood  was  large,  but  it  was  entirely  sur- 
rounded by  open  fields,  and  the  major  had  every 
reason  to  believe  that  some  Confederate  troops 
lay  back  of  them.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  nearly 
the  whole  of  Breckinridge's  command  were  en- 
camped less  than  half  a  mile  away. 

The  distance  to  Chickamauga  Creek  was  be- 
tween a  quarter  and  a  half  of  a  mile,  and  how 
much  of  shelter  lay  in  that  direction  Avas  a  prob- 
lem still  to  be  solved.  One  thing  was  certain ; 
if  he  wished  to  get  over  the  creek  and  into  the 
Union  lines  again,  the  attempt  must  be  made  that 
night,  and  he  must  trust  to  luck  to  find  his  way, 
although,  to  be  sure,  the  night  was  fair,  and  Deck 
had  some  knowledge  of  the  stars  and  how  to  read 
the  heavens. 

Ten  minutes  passed  in  which  time  Deck  made 
not  the  slightest  sound.  No  one  had  come  after 
him,  and  he  rightfully  guessed  that  he  was  safe 
for   the   time   being.     He  waited  a  little   longer 


THROUGH   THE   ENEMY'S   LINES  405 

and  then  placing  the  pistol  in  his  belt,  advanced 
cautiously  through  the  forest  in  the  direction  he 
calculated  the  creek  must  be  located. 

Presently  a  gleam  of  light  reached  his  view, 
coming  from  a  small  hollow.  He  crept  forward 
noiselessly  until  he  reached  a  fringe  of  bushes 
bounding  the  hollow.  From  this  point  he  be- 
held half  a  dozen  Confederate  soldiers  sitting 
around  a  small  camp-fire,  broiling  a  chicken 
spitted  on  a  bayonet.  They  were  a  merry  crowd, 
and  cracked  many  a  joke  in  a  low  tone  as  they 
waited  for  the  dainty  morsel  to  become  done. 

Deck  did  not  view  this  scene  long.  Instead, 
he  made  a  detour  and  continued  on  his  way  until 
he  came  to  a  small  brook.  Here  he  stopped  for 
a  much-needed  drink.  The  brook  was  almost 
stationary,  but  a  chip  thrown  into  the  water 
showed  him  in  which  way  it  was  flowing, 
and,  taking  it  for  granted  that  the  watercourse 
emptied  itself  into  the  Chickamauga,  he  decided 
to  follow  its  fairly  straight  direction. 

He  was  proceeding  along  with  increased  con- 
fidence, when  suddenly  a  negro  voice  sounded 
upon  his  ear,  coming  from  a  road  which  crossed 
the  brook.     A   colored  man  was  coming  along. 


406  AN    UNDIVIDED   UNION 

bringing  with  him  half  a  dozen  cavalry  horses 
that  needed  watering.  The  fellow  seemed  free 
from  care  and  sang  "  Dixie "  with  rare  musical 
ability. 

Not  having  time  to  cross  the  road  before  the 
colored  man  arrived,  the  major  drew  back,  think- 
ing to  make  another  detour,  behind  or  in  front  of 
man  and  animals.  He  wished  very  much  that 
he  had  one  of  the  horses,  but  to  gain  one  by 
force,  he  felt  might  lead  to  discovery  and 
capture. 

The  horses  were  very  thirsty,  and  crowded 
for  the  brook  in  a  bunch.  There  were  several 
black  chargers,  one  of  white,  and  one  of  gray. 
As  they  came  closer  Deck  could  not  help  but 
notice  that  they  were  all  in  first-class  condition, 
quite  in  contrast  to  many  Confederate  mounts  he 
had  seen. 

"  Ceph  !     By  all  that's  wonderful !  " 

The  words  burst  from  the  major's  lips  ere  he 
had  time  to  realize  the  in  judiciousness  of  his 
remarks.  He  had  caught  sight  of  his  own 
precious  animal,  Ceph,  who  had  been  stolen  from 
him  while  he  was  up  in  a  tree  at  the  battle 
between  the  rocky  defile  and  the  swamp  in  Ala- 


THROUGH   THE   ENEMY'S   LINES  407 

bania.  For  the  moment  he  could  scarcely  credit 
his  eyesight. 

But  if  he  wanted  extra  proof  that  it  was  really 
Ceph  he  was  gazing  upon,  the  noble  steed  fur- 
nished it  himself.  At  the  sound  of  Deck's  voice 
he  pricked  up  his  ears  and  raised  his  head.  Then 
he  left  the  bunch  of  horses  and  rushed  straight  for 
the  young  major  and  rubbed  his  soft  nose  affec- 
tionately upon  Deck's  neck. 

"  Good,  faithful  old  Ceph  !  "  Deck  could  not 
help  saying.  "  Where  in  the  world  have  you 
been  ?  Oh,  how  I  have  missed  you  !  They  shan't 
take  you  again,  not  if  I  can  help  it ! "  And  he 
leaped  into  the  saddle. 

"  Wha — what  do  dis  mean,  raassa  ?  "  stammered 
the  negro.  "  What  right  hab  you-un  to  dat 
hoss  ?  " 

"  Every  right  in  the  world,  Sambo,"  answered 
Deck.  "  The  horse  belongs  to  me,  don't  you, 
Ceph  ?  " 

For  answer  Ceph  gave  a  low  snort  of  satis- 
faction. 

"  Belong  to  yo'  ?  I  t'ink  dat's  a  mistake,  massa. 
Dat  am  Captain  Loring's  hoss,  fo'  suah,"  and  the 
colored  man  shook  his  head  decidedly.     Then  as 


408  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

he  came  close  enough  to  note  what  uniform  Deck 
was  wearmg,  he  gave  a  gasp  of  horror.  "  Fo'  pity 
sake,  massa,  is  you-un  a —  a  Yankee  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  am,  Sambo,  and  I  want  you  to  keep 
your  mouth  shut  about  this,"  replied  Deck, 
sternly.  "  The  horse  is  mine  and  always  was 
mine,  and  I  am  going  to  ride  off  on  him.  If  you 
make  any  outcry  I  will  shoot  you." 

"Don't  go  fo'  to  do  dat,  massa  orsifer!  "  came 
with  a  shiver.  "  I  won't  say  a  single  word,  'deed 
I  won't.  But — but  who's  to  take  the  'sponsi- 
bility  when  Captain  Loring  find  dat  hoss  ain't 
heah  no  mo'  ?  " 

"  You'll  be  telling  the  truth  when  you  say  he 
got  away  from  you.  Sambo,  —  for  he  did  get 
away  just  now.  Is  this  the  way  to  Hall's 
Ford?" 

"  No,  massa ;  dat's  de  way  to  Lee  and  Gordon's 
Mill." 

"  I  don't  know  whether  to  believe  you  or  not," 
said  Deck,  simply  in  order  to  get  the  negro 
"mixed."  "I  guess  I'll  find  Breckinridge's  camp 
somewhere  around  here.  Now  I'm  off.  If  you 
give  the  alarm,  remember,  I'll  come  back  and  put 
half  a  dozen  bullets  through  your  body." 


THROUGH   THE   ENEMY's    LINES  409 

"  Won't  say  a  word,  massa  orsifer,"  returned 
the  negro  in  a  more  shaky  voice  than  ever. 

"Very  well, you'll  be  safe  then  —  but  not  other- 
wise," concluded  Deck,  and  continued  on  his  way 
down  the  brook. 

He  passed  along  as  rapidly  as  Ceph  could 
travel  over  the  rocks  and  dirt,  keeping  to  the 
brook  just  so  long  as  the  negro  remained  in  sight. 
As  soon  as  the  colored  man  was  lost  to  view,  he 
turned  at  right  angles  to  the  direction  he  had 
been  travelling,  to  throw  any  possible  pursuer  off 
the  trail. 

Having  left  the  brook  which  had  been  his  guide, 
the  major  found  it  no  easy  matter  to  set  himself 
right  again  concerning  the  direction  of  Chicka- 
mauga  Creek.  The  way  was  dark  and  uncertain, 
and  it  was  not  until  eleven  o'clock  that  he  came 
out  at  a  point  where  a  ledge  of  rock  several  yards 
in  height  overlooked  the  stream  that  divided  the 
armies  of  the  North  and  the  South. 

All  was  quiet  ;  so  quiet  that  one  would  imagine 
the  neighborhood  deserted.  But  Major  Lyon 
was  not  to  be  taken  unawares,  and  leading  Ceph 
back  into  the  brush,  he  made  a  survey  of  the  situa- 
tion on  foot.     Presently  he  found  a  safe  path  into 


410  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

the  stream,  with  no  picket  guards  within  a  hun- 
dred feet  on  either  side.  This  just  suited  him, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  more,  horse  and  rider  were 
braving  the  current  of  the  rolling  Chickamauga. 

"  Ceph  could  swim  well,  but  not  noiselessly, 
and  they  had  not  advanced  over  fifty  feet  before 
a  command  came  out  of  the  darkness  from  down 
the  creek. 

"  Who  is  that  out  there  ?  Speak,  or  I  will 
fire  !  " 

"  What's  that?  "  called  back  the  major,  at  the 
same  time  urging  Ceph  forward,  and  up  the 
stream. 

"  Who  are  you  ?  " 

"A  friend." 

"  Come  back  here  then  and  give  the  counter- 
sign." 

"  I  can  give  you  that  without  coming  back," 
went  on  Deck,  and  did  so,  speaking  just  loud 
enough  for  his  questioner  to  hear   him. 

"  What  are  you  doing  out  there  ?  "  went  on  the 
picket,  only  half  satisfied. 

"  I  am  bound  for  the  other  shore  to  pick  up 
some  information." 

"Who  are  you?" 


THROUGH   THE   ENEMy's    LINES  411 

"  Have  you  ever  heard  of  Captain  Brentford,  of 
General  Bragg's  staff  ?  " 

"You  bet  I  have,"  was  the  quick  return.  "If 
it's  you,  Captain,  it's  all  right,  and  I  wish  you 
luck,"  and  then  the  picket  relapsed  into  silence. 
He  had  once  met  Captain  Brentford  personally, 
and  was  greatly  pleased  to  have  the  supposed  spy 
take  him  into  his  confidence. 

Much  relieved.  Major  Lyon  continued  on  his 
way,  and  in  five  minutes  the  Chickamauga  had 
been  crossed  and  he  was  on  his  way  to  find  his 
command.  Were  it  not  for  going  too  far  into 
his  confidence,  we  could  state  that  he  felt  like 
hugging  both  himself  and  Ceph  over  their  com- 
bined escape. 


CHAPTER    XXXII 

the  second  day  at  chickamatjga 

"  Deck  ! " 

"  Artie  !  " 

And  the  two  brothers  rushed  into  each  other's 
arms,  while  Colonel  Lyon  stood  by,  his  face  full 
of  joy  over  the  return  of  his  son.  Artie  had 
told  the  story  of  Deck's  capture,  and  both  he 
and  the  colonel  had  felt  almost  positive  that 
they  would  not  see  the  major  again  for  a  long 
while  to  come,  and  perhaps  never  again. 

"  Yes,  I've  had  a  very  fortunate  escape,"  said 
Deck,  as  he  shook  his  father's  hand.  "  I  wouldn't 
be  here  at  all  were  it  not  for  Tom  Derwiddie." 

"  Tom  Derwiddie  ?  "  queried  Artie. 

"  Yes.  Don't  you  remember  him  —  the  Con- 
federate soldier  I  assisted  at  the  burning  cotton 
mill  ?  " 

"And  you  met  him  ?"  put  in  Colonel  Lyon. 

"  I  did.  I  was  placed  in  his  charge  for  a  few 
minutes,  and  he  very  accommodatingly  gave  me 

412 


THE    SECOND    DAY    AT    CHICKAMAUGA        413 

his  pistol,  freed  my  hands,  and  let  me  knock  him 
down,"  continued  the  major,  with  a  laugh,  and 
then  told  his  tale  in  detail. 

"  Well,  you  are  more  than  lucky,"  said  Artie, 
when  he  had  finished.  "  Finding  Ceph  was 
worth  a  good  deal,  eh  ?  " 

"  It  was  worth  as  much  as  escaping,"  answered 
Deck,  and  he  stroked  the  noble  steed  affection- 
ately. "  I  wish  you  could  tell  your  story,  too, 
old  boy  !  "  And  Ceph  gave  him  a  poke  with 
that  nose  of  his.  It  seemed  as  if  the  steed  did 
most  of  his  talking  with  that  nose. 

Others  had  gathered  around,  Captain  Life 
Knox,  Sandy  Lyon,  and  Uncle  Titus,  and  Deck's 
story  had  to  be  retold  to  them.  In  the  mean- 
time he  was  served  with  a  hot  supper,  and  later 
on,  given  the  means  to  change  his  wet  clothing 
for  dry. 

"  You  ought  to  have  something  to  tell  the 
general,"  said  Titus  Lyon  to  him.  "  Of  course 
you  kept  your  eyes  and  ears  open  while  you 
were  over  there." 

"No,  Uncle  Titus,  I  didn't.  I  promised  the 
fellow  who  assisted  me  to  say  nothing,  and  I 
intend  to  keep  my  promise.     But  I  wish  I  could 


414  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

have  collared  that  Captain  Brentford,  and  brought 
him  along." 

The  Riverlawns  were  encamped  at  the  foot  of 
a  hill  not  far  from  Crawfish  Springs.  It  was  a 
fine  place  for  a  camp,  and  many  of  the  privates 
were  already  sleeping  soundly.  Soon  Deck  and 
his  relatives  and  friends  retired,  only  the  pickets 
being  kept  awake.  In  spite  of  his  adventures, 
the  major  slumbered  soundly,  and  did  not  arise 
until  the  Sabbath  dawn  was  well  advanced. 

It  was  felt  by  both  sides  that  the  morrow 
would  tell  the  tale  of  defeat  or  victory,  and  all 
night  long  Generals  Rosecrans  and  Bragg  were 
busy  arranging  their  plans.  The  former  could 
get  no  reenforcements  worth  mentioning  ;  but  to 
the  Army  of  Tennessee  were  now  added  reenforce- 
ments under  General  Longstreet,  who  arrived 
shortly  before  midnight,  to  assume  personal  charge 
of  the  corps  temporarily  commanded  by  Hood. 
A  rough  estimate  of  the  troops  on  both  sides 
at  this  time  places  the  number  of  Unionists  at 
fifty-five  thousand,  as  against  nearly  seventy  thou- 
sand Confederates.  But  what  they  lacked  in 
numbers,  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  made  up 
in  position,  for  they  occupied  higher  ground  than 


THE   SECOND   DAY   AT    CHICKAMAUGA        415 

their  opponents  —  something  of  great  strategic 
importance,  as  we  will  soon  see. 

It  must  be  confessed  that  General  Rosecrans's 
troops  were  all  but  exhausted.  Every  soldier, 
excepting  two  divisions,  had  been  thrown  into 
the  fight  on  Saturday,  and  every  division  had 
marched  and  countermarched  until  some  of  the 
infantry  hardly  knew  whether  they  had  feet  or 
not.  On  the  other  hand,  Bragg  had  three  divi- 
sions and  three  brigades  who  had  not  partici- 
pated in  the  battle,  and  who  were  thus  fresh  in 
every  sense  of  the  word. 

The  battle  was  again  to  be  for  the  Lafayette 
road  and  the  mountain  gaps  near  it  —  the  gate- 
way to  Chattanooga  and  the  East.  The  centre 
of  the  field  was  the  farm  owned  by  a  man  named 
Kelley.  The  battle  front  of  the  Unionists  ran 
around  the  northeast  corner  of  the  farm,  across 
the  Lafayette  road  and  to  the  southwestward. 
The  firing  line  was  more  compact  than  on  Sat- 
urday, two  brigades  of  each  division  being  placed 
in  front,  with  the  third  brigade  behind,  in  reserve. 
At  the  left  of  the  line  was  Baird,  with  Johnson, 
Palmer,  and  Reynolds  following,  in  something  of 
a  semicircle.     South  of  this  semicircle  lay  Bren- 


416  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

nan  and  Negley,  with  Davis  and  Sheridan  guard- 
ing the  vicinity  of  the  Widow  Glenn's — -still 
Rosecrans's  headquarters.  As  before,  the  cavalry 
was  stationed  at  both  ends  of  the  line,  although 
the  larger  portion  remained  between  the  Chicka- 
mauga  and  Crawfish  Springs,  to  do  regular  duty 
and  also  help  guard  the  field  hospital  previously 
mentioned. 

Bragg's  forces  overlapped  those  of  Rosecrans's 
both  on  the  right  and  the  left.  Opposite  to 
Baird  was  Breckinridge,  who  had  just  come  up, 
with  Armstrong,  Pegram,  and  Forrest  overlap- 
ping the  Unionists'  left  wing.  Next  to  Breck- 
inridge came  Cleburn,  Steward,  Johnson,  and 
Hindman's  battery.  Behind  Johnson  lay  Law 
and  Kershaw,  with  Cheatham  and  Walker  still 
further  back,  on  the  right ;  while  Gracie,  Kelly, 
and  Preston  were  to  the  rear  on  the  left. 

During  the  night  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland 
was  not  idle,  even  though  a  majority  of  the  sol- 
diers slept  soundly.  The  pioneers  were  out  in 
force,  with  the  Engineering  Corps,  and  many 
barricades  of  trees,  logs,  and  brush  were  piled 
up,  along  with  sods  and  loose  rocks.  The  Con- 
federates heard  the  ringing  of  axes  and  the  crash- 


THE   SECOND   DAY   AT    CHICKAMAUGA       417 

ing  of  timber  as  it  came  down,  but  could  do 
nothing  toward  stopping  the  construction  of  these 
defences. 

Sunday  morning  dawned  with  a  heavy  fog  fill- 
ing the  valleys  —  a  fog  so  dense  that  the  moun- 
tains were  shut  out,  giving  the  battle-ground, 
from  every  point  of  view,  the  appearance  of  a 
ghostly  plain.  This  fog  did  not  begin  to  lift 
until  nine  or  ten  o'clock.  Bragg  had  given  Polk 
orders  to  begin  the  battle,  but  minute  after  min- 
ute passed  and  the  Confederate  leader  sat  imj)a- 
tiently  astride  of  his  horse,  waiting  in  vain  for 
the  sounds  of  the  conflict. 

"  What  is  the  matter  with  Polk,  —  why  in  com- 
mon sense  doesn't  he  do  something  ?  "  General 
Bragg  is  reported  to  have  said,  and  started  off 
for  the  right  wing  personally.  He  found  Polk 
absent  from  the  field  and  no  preparations  being 
made  to  attack  Baird.  As  the  fog  lifted,  he  saw 
how  his  right  overlapped  the  Union  left,  and  how 
the  Rossville  road  was  thus  left  open,  and  Breck- 
inridge and  Cleburn  were  given  orders  to  ad- 
vance without  delay. 

In  the  meantime  Thomas  had  ordered  Negley 
to  reenforce  Baird.      But  only  one  division  could 


418  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

be  spared,  which  was  rushed  to  the  scene  with  all 
possible  speed,  and  that  was  all  the  support  the 
left  flank  received. 

At  half  past  nine  the  battle  was  on,  Breckin- 
ridge and  Cleburn  coming  swiftly  onward  with  a 
ringing  yell,  to  meet  a  sturdy  resistance  from 
Baird  and  Beatty's  division  of  Negley's  brigade. 
The  contest  was  fierce  from  the  very  opening, 
and  for  a  while  it  looked  as  if  the  left  flank 
would  be  completely  annihilated  and  Baird's 
command  made  prisoners.  But  regiments  and 
divisions  under  Johnson,  Stanley,  and  Vandever 
were  hurried  to  the  scene,  and,  suffering 
heavily,  Breckinridge  was  thrown  back,  with  two 
generals  killed  and  his  chief  of  artillery 
mortally    wounded. 

By  this  time  the  battle  had  extended  down  the 
line,  and  now  Cleburn,  Walker,  Cheatham,  and 
others  became  involved.  The  artillery  on  both 
sides  were  pouring  forth  shot,  shell,  and  canister 
at  a  fearful  rate,  and  whole  lines  of  brave 
infantry  were  mowed  down  like  blades  of  grass. 

With  the  repulse  of  the  Confederates'  right 
the  hopes  of  the  Unionists  ran  high,  but  when 
victory  seemed  almost   assured,  a  grave  blunder 


THE   SECOND   DAY    AT    CHICKAMAUGA       419 

at  the  Union  centre  brought  fearful  disaster  to 
the  Army  of  the  Cumberland.  Receiving  an 
order  to  close  up  to  Reynolds,  Wood  took  it  to 
mean  that  he  was  to  fall  back  in  support,  and  he 
left  tjie  Union  centre  to  do  this.  The  gap  was 
quickly  filled  by  Longstreet,  and  thus  the  right 
and  left  wings  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland 
became  separated,  and  henceforth  two  battles  en- 
sued instead  of  one,  on  ground  from  a  half  a 
mile  to  one  mile  apart.  To  the  east  of  Kelley's 
Farm  and  the  Lafayette  road  were  Baird, 
Johnson,  Palmer,  and  Reynolds,  still  in  their  old 
semicircle,  while  to  the  westward  of  the  road 
was  a  jagged,  but  unbroken,  line  comj)osed  of 
nearly  all  the  other  troops.  The  Confederate 
forces  lay  scattered  in  several  directions,  but 
principall}'  in  front  of  both  of  the  positions 
mentioned. 

The  disaster  to  the  centre,  followed  by  a  de- 
termined attack  on  the  right,  was  more  than  the 
Union  troops  could  bear,  and  they  were  forced  to 
give  up  ground,  until  another  stand  was  taken,  as 
described  above.  In  the  meantime,  Thomas  was 
in  ignorance  of  the  state  of  affairs  on  the  right, 
yet    he    soon    discovered    that   he  was   fighting 


420  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

more  than  his  share  of  the  enemy  on  the  left. 
He  had  massed  his  artillery  on  the  slopes  of 
Missionary  Ridge,  and  now  he  withdrew  from  his 
breastworks  of  trees  and  dirt,  and  took  up  a 
position  here.  To  get  to  the  ridge  was  no  easy 
work,  and  the  slaughter  counted  up  into  the 
thousands  upon  both  sides. 

A  pause  in  the  tide  of  battle  followed.  Like 
two  giants  the  armies  faced  each  other,  getting 
their  "  second  wind,"  and  speculating  on  how  to 
proceed  next.  Thomas  held  the  ridge  and  the 
Confederates  were  bound  to  drive  him  from  it  and 
shatter  his  forces.  It  was  two  o'clock  and  assault 
after  assault  was  made,  lasting  until  sundown. 
At  times  the  Confederates  would  gain  a  slope  or  a 
minor  ridge,  but  a  Union  division  or  a  brigade 
would  rush  upon  them  and  dislodge  them,  or  a 
battery  would  literally  cut  them  to  pieces.  The 
charges  were  truly  magnificent,  but  Thomas  and 
his  forces  stood  like  so  many  rocks,  and  could 
not  be  dislodged.  At  sundown  the  attacks 
ceased,  and  it  was  well  that  this  was  so,  for 
many  of  the  Union  troops  were  short  of  ammuni- 
tion. In  some  cases  the  latter  attacks  were  re- 
pulsed solely  with  bayonets  and  clubbed  muskets. 


THE    SECOND    DAY    AT    CHICKAMAUGA       421 

With  the  coming  of  night,  it  was  deemed  ad- 
visable to  have  Thomas's  forces  withdraw  in 
the  direction  of  Chattanooga,  and  this  plan  was 
carried  out,  although  not  without  additional 
fighting,  in  which  a  few  men  were  lost  and  a 
large  number  of  infantry  were  made  prisoners. 
By  this  movement  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland 
was  again  reunited,  and  stood  once  more  as  a 
wall  between  General  Bragg  and  Chattanooga. 

When  Major  Deck  Lyon  awoke  in  the  morn- 
ing he  found  the  encampment  of  the  River- 
lawns  submerged  in  mist  so  thick  it  almost  ap- 
peared as  if  it  was  raining.  Major  Tom  Bel- 
thorpe  and  Captain  Artie  Lyon  were  already 
astir,  and  the  three  gathered  together,  to  talk 
over  the  situation. 

They  were  not,  however,  left  alone  long. 
Colonel  Lyon  had  already  been  moving  around, 
surveying  the  "  lay  of  the  land,"  and  had  made 
the  discovery  that  a  large  portion  of  the  enemy 
had  crossed  the  Chickamauga.  While  an  early 
breakfast  was  being  eaten,  orders  came  to  march 
the  regiment  up  to  a  position  midway  between 
the  creek  and  the  hospital  on  the  field. 

The  road  ran  for  some   distance  parallel  with 


422  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

the  creek,  with  short  brush  on  one  side  and  a 
sparse  growth  of  trees  on  the  other.  It  was  un- 
even  and  the  cavalry  had  torn  it  up  considerably. 

The  first  battalion  was  well  in  advance,  when, 
without  warning,  a  regiment  of  the  enemy  poured 
down  on  them  from  the  woods.  The  first  inti- 
mation of  the  proximity  of  the  Confederates 
was  a  round  from  four  companies,  which  tore 
through  the  ranks  of  Captain  Artie  Lyon's 
command,  killing  three  and  wounding  twice  as 
many  more. 

Without  waiting  for  orders  from  the  colonel, 
who  was  riding  in  the  rear,  watching  Major 
Truman's  battalion.  Major  Deck  Lyon  called  a 
halt,  and  swung  the  first  and  second  companies 
into  position.  "  Take  aim  —  fire  !  "  was  the  com- 
mand, and  the  bullets  clipped  hither  and  thither 
through  the  trees.  One  Confederate  was  thus 
taken  unawares  and  the  whole  regiment  brought 
to  a  halt. 

But  though  repulsed,  the  enemy  did  not  halt 
long.  In  less  than  a  minute  the  Confederate 
colonel  gave  the  command  for  nearly  his  whole 
regiment  to  advance,  and  the  leading  companies 
came  out  of  the  timber  on  the  double-quick.     A 


THE   SECOND   DAY   AT   CHICKAMAUGA       423 

portion  of  them  fired  again  at  the  first  battalion 
of  the  Riverlawns  while  the  remainder  reserved 
their  ammunition  for  Tom  Belthorpe's  four 
companies. 

Colonel  Lyon  now  galloped  up  and  looked  in- 
quiringly at  his  son.  "Deck,  what  does  this 
mean?  " 

"  We  are  caught,  father,  that  is  what  it  means," 
answered  the  major.  "  If  you  will  allow  me  to 
say  so,  I  think  we  had  best  re-form  behind  yonder 
brush." 

"  I  will  take  your  advice,  for  you  have  felt  the 
enemy,"  said  Colonel  Lyon,  and  lost  not  an  instant 
in  giving  the  necessary  orders.  By  the  time  the 
shelter  of  the  brush  was  gained,  the  firing  line 
of  the  Confederates  was  fairly  well  defined,  and 
the  colonel  placed  his  own  men,  four  companies 
abreast,  and  two  con>panies  deep,  with  the  second 
half  of  the  second  battalion  and  the  second  half 
of  the  third  battalion  in  reserve.  Ten  sharp- 
shooters from  Captain  Life  Knox's  command 
and  an  equal  number  from  Captain  Ripley's 
company  were  detached,  to  make  a  detour  and 
learn  the  true  fighting  force  of  the  body  thus 
suddenly  encountered. 


424  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

The  Confederates  had  advanced  as  far  as  the 
edge  of  the  woods.  Between  this  and  the  road 
lay  a  small  patch  of  grass,  so  that  the  cleared 
space  between  the  brush  and  the  first  row  of  tim- 
ber was  a  little  over  a  hundred  feet.  The  brush 
was  heavy  along  the  road,  and  the  first  row  of 
the  Riverlawns,  dismounted,  were  as  close  up  to 
this  natural  defence  as  possible. 

The  open  space  disturbed  the  Confederate  colo- 
nel and  he  hardly  knew  whether  to  trust  a  rush 
across  it  or  not.  But,  finally,  he  gave  the  order, 
and  four  of  his  companies  came  on,  spread  out 
in  a  skirmish  line.  They  fired  as  they  came,  and 
received  a  sharp  fire  in  return.  At  the  brush 
they  hesitated,  and  while  doing  this,  received  a 
volley  from  the  Riverlawns  behind. 

"  This  is  going  to  be  warm  work  !  "  observed 
Major  Belthorpe  to  Deck,  as  he  galloped  up  on 
his  black  charger.  "That  fellow  must  have  a 
good  reserve  force  somewhere  back  there." 

"  Ripley  and  Knox  have  found  them,  that's  cer- 
tain," answered  Deck,  as  a  rattle  of  guns  came 
from  the  sides  of  the  enemy.  "  We'll  soon  get 
their  report." 

At  that  instant  Colonel  Lyon  dashed  up. 


THE   SECOND   DAY   AT   CHICKAMAUGA       425 

"  There  are  but  eleven  companies  of  them,"  he 
said.  "  I  think  by  a  rapid  dash  to  the  north  we 
can  turn  their  flank  and  either  make  them  retreat 
or  surrender." 

"  Let  us  make  the  move  then,"  said  Belthorpe, 
and  Colonel  Lj^on  gave  the  orders.  Soon  the 
Riverlawns  were  in  rapid  motion,  to  the  Confed- 
erates' surprise,  and  likewise  their  bewilderment. 


CHAPTER   XXXIII 

CAPTAIN   ARTIE   LYON   IS    SHOT   DOWN 

Life  Knox  Avas  responsible  for  the  movement 
which  was  now  being  made.  He  had  not  only- 
aided  in  uncovering  the  true  strength  of  the 
enemy  opposed  to  the  Riverlawns,  but  he  had 
made  a  discovery  that  he  considered  of  great 
importance.  Colonel  Lyon  had  agreed  with  him 
and  had  acted  on  his  advice. 

As  has  been  said,  the  timber  faced  the  road. 
It  was  uneven  ground,  and  to  the  north  there  was 
a  sharp  rise,  running  from  the  highway  to  a  regu- 
lar cliff  ten  rods  to  the  rear.  To  the  south,  the 
rise  sloped  away  into  a  hollow,  at  the  lower  end 
of  which  was  a  swamp  having  apparently  no 
outlet. 

The  Confederate  regiment  had  come  upon  the 
Riverlawns  at  a  spot  midway  between  the  rise  of 
ground  and  the  swamp.  If,  therefore,  the  River- 
lawns could  gain  the  high  ground,  they  would 
command  the  situation,  for  the  enemy  would 
426 


CAPTAIN    ARTIE   LYON    IS    SHOT   DOWN      427 

either  have  to  retreat  to  the  swamp,  or  take  to 
the  highway  and  the  field. 

Colonel  Lyon  well  knew  that  success  depended 
very  largely  'upon  quickness  of  movement,  and 
the  order  was  passed  to  make  the  quickest  time 
possible  in  advancing  as  indicated.  All  the 
Riverlawns'  horses  were  of  the  best,  and  the  way 
they  tore  over  the  brush  and  up  the  highway  was 
marvellous  to  behold. 

"  After  'em  boys,  we  have  'em  on  the  run  !  " 
shouted  one  of  the  Confederate  majors,  and  he 
started  his  battalion  along  the  highway.  He  was 
given  the  chance  to  fire  one  volley,  and  received 
another  in  return,  from  Major  Truman's  command. 
He  would  have  kept  on  running  had  not  his  colonel 
ordered  him  back.  The  Confederate  commander 
knew  there  was  no  need  for  the  Unionists  to 
retreat  and  began  to  "smell  a  mouse." 

The  high  ground  was  gained,  and  the  first  bat- 
talion, under  Deck,  galloped  iixto  the  open  timber. 
Life  Knox,  who  had  just  been  over  the  ground, 
rode  in  advance,  as  a  guide.  The  ground  was 
rough,  but  Life  was  a  thorough  backwoodsman 
and  easily  pointed  out  the  best  trail.  Li  less 
than  five  minutes  the  whole  regiment  was  behind 


428  AN    UNDIVIDED   UNION 

the  shelter  of  the  trees,  and  by  this  time  the  first 
and  second  companies  occupied  positions  directly 
in  the  rear  of  the  Confederate  reserves. 

The  reserves  numbered  but  a  company  and  a 
half,  and  not  knowing  what  was  taking  place,  the 
ranking  captain  ordered  one  round  to  be  fired, 
and,  receiving  a  round  in  return  from  the  whole 
first  battalion,  started  on  a  rapid  retreat,  to  bring 
up  against  the  companies  from  the  road,  which 
had  just  been  turned  in  that  direction. 

These  counter-movements  in  the  timber,  where 
the  ground  was  sloping  and  rough,  caused  some- 
thing of  a  mix-up,  and  before  the  Confederate 
colonel  could  bring  order  out  of  chaos.  Colonel 
Lyon  was  swooping  down  upon  him  from  the 
higher  ground.  The  first  and  the  third  battal- 
ions were  called  into  this  action,  and  the  Confed- 
erates ran  like  sheep  down  the  slope  toward  the 
swamp. 

As  usual  Deck  was  in  the  lead,  and  almost 
before  he  knew  it  he  found  himself  face  to  face 
with  the  Confederate  captain  who  had  com- 
manded the  reserves.  The  captain  was  mounted 
like  himself  and  fired  at  him  with  his  pistol, 
while  the  two  were   less  than  five   yards  apart. 


He  found  Himself  Face  to  P'ace  with  the  Confederate 
Captain. 

Page  428. 


CAPTAIN    ARTIE    LYON    IS    SHOT    DOWN       429 

A  lucky  leap  on  Ceph's  part  saved  Deck  from 
serious  injury,  if  not  from  death,  and  in  a  flash 
captain  and  major  came  together,  and  sword 
met  sabre  in  strokes  which  brought  forth  flashes 
of  fire.  The  captain  was  a  heavj^-built  man  of 
twice  Deck's  age,  and  as  their  blades  came  to- 
gether the  major  realized  that  he  had  engaged 
an  opponent  worthy  of  his  steel. 

Since  joining  the  army.  Major  Lyon  had  prac- 
tised industriously  upon  the  sabre  exercise,  until 
he  could  handle  that  blade  about  as  well  as  any 
officer,  with  a  few  exceptions.  The  captain  was 
skilled  in  the  use  of  the  sword,  and  had  it  not 
been  for  the  more  important  battle  around  them, 
both  might  have  taken  time  to  "try  for  points." 
But  the  present  contest  was  not  merely  one  of 
skill,  it  was  one  for  supremac}^  and  Deck  went 
at  his  man  with  a  will  from  the  very  outset. 

A  parry  and  a  thrust,  and  Deck  felt  the  cold 
steel  touch  him  in  the  rib.  But  a  rearing  up 
by  Ceph  saved  him  from  serious,  injury,  and  he 
went  at  his  man  again.  They  had  circled  half 
way  around,  so  that  neither  had  an  advantage, 
so  far  as  the  ground  was  concerned. 

Suddenly  the  captain  made  a  savage  blow  for 


430  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

Deck's  neck,  putting  forth  all  his  strength  and 
quickness  in  the  motion.  Had  the  blow  fallen 
as  intended,  the  major's  head  might  have  fallen 
from  his  shoulders. 

But  Deck  was  wide  awake,  and  warded  off 
the  blow  by  an  upper-cut  which  nicked  his 
sabre,  but  did  no  further  damage.  Before  the 
captain  could  recover,  the  major  threw  his  sabre 
over  on  a  side  thrust,  and  the  Confederate  re- 
ceived the  point  of  the  blade  in  his  shoulder. 

"  Oh  !  "  groaned  the  victim,  and  gave  a  gasp. 
He  tried  to  recover,  but  Major  Lyon  was  too 
fast  for  him.  He  hit  the  sword  sharply,  and  in 
a  twinkling  it  sailed  into  the  trees,  to  lodge 
among  some  small  branches.  The  weapon  had 
hardly  left  the  captain's  hand  when  a  riderless 
horse  ran  against  his  own,  and  he  went  down, 
under  the  runaway's  feet.  Ceph  swerved  to 
one  side ;  and  then  Deck  was  carried  away  from 
the  scene  of  the  stirring  encounter. 

The  combat  had  warmed  the  major's  blood, 
and  he  rode  to  regain  the  front  of  his  battalion. 
It  was  some  distance  down  the  slope,  and  as  he 
moved  along  he  saw  Sandy  Lyon  having  a  hard 
time  of  it  with  two  Confederate  sergeants,  who 


CAPTAIN   ARTIE   LYON   IS   SHOT   DOWN      431 

seemed  determined  to  bring  the  acting  captain 
of  the  fifth  company  to  grief.  All  three  com- 
batants were  on  foot,  and  it  was  a  case  of  two 
pistols  against  a  sabre,  for  Sandy's  weapon  was 
empty. 

As  Deck  came  up  at  full  speed,-  or  rather,  as 
rapidly  as  the  nature  of  the  ground  permitted, 
he  saw  his  cousin  on  one  knee,  he  having  re- 
ceived an  ugly  wound  below  the  left  knee.  One 
Confederate  sergeant  had  fired  his  shot,  and 
now  his  companion  was  about  to  follow  it  with 
a  second,  aimed  at  the  acting  captain's  head. 

Sandy  Lyon  made  a  stroke  at  the  pistol  with 
his  sabre,  but  failed  to  reached  it.  The  Con- 
federate pulled  the  trigger,  and  it  must  be 
confessed  that  the  young  man  who  had  fought 
so  bravely  since  joining  the  Riverlawns  gave 
himself  up  for  lost.  Even  to  Deck  it  looked  as 
if  Sandy  was  about  to  join  his  brother  Orly  as 
another  victim  of  the  grim  Civil  War. 

But  the  pistol  snapped  without  going  off,  the 
weapon  being  an  old  one  and  out  of  repair. 
"  Hang  the  luck !  "  muttered  the  Confederate, 
and  readjusted  the  trigger. 

But  Deck  was  too  quick  for  him,  and  as  the 


4SS  An  undivided  itnion 

major's  weapon  rang  out,  the  Confederate's  arm 
dropped  to  his  side  and  the  pistol  fell  to  the 
ground.  The  major  fired  again,  striking  the 
second  sergeant  in  the  shoulder,  and  a  moment 
later  both  surrendered  and  were  made  prisoners. 

"  It  was  a  good  turn,  Deck ! "  murmured 
Sandy  Lyon,  and  he  tried  to  rise.  But  the 
pain  in  his  wounded  leg  was  too  great,  and  he 
fainted.  Calling  two  privates,  Deck  had  him 
carried  to  the  rear,  and  he  was,  later  on,  re- 
moved to  the  hospital  at  Crawfish  Springs. 

As  expected,  the  Confederate  regiment  had, 
with  the  exception  of  two  companies,  been 
driven  down  to  the  swampy  ground,  and  here 
they  tried  to  take  a  stand.  Their  colonel  had 
been  wounded,  one  major  was  dead,  and  the 
several  companies  were  hopelessly  mixed  up. 
The  two  missing  companies  had  taken  to  the 
lighway,  thinking  the  others  would  follow. 

"■  I  think  we  have  the  fellows  where  we  want 
lem,"  said  Colonel  Lyon,  riding  up  to  his  son.* 
•  Dexter,  don't  you  think  you  can  follow  those 
who  took  to  the  road  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  I  can,"  was  the  prompt  reply  from 
Deck,  although    he    could    not    help  but  wonder 


CAPTAIN    ARTIE   LYON    IS    SHOT   DOWN      433 

how  bad  that  wound  in .  the  rib  was.  "  How 
many  companies  got  away  ?  " 

"  Not  more  than  two.  You  might  take  three 
companies  with  you." 

"All  right,  Colonel,"  replied  Deck,  and 
started   to   find   the    companies   in    question. 

Captain  Abbey  was  busy  down  at  the  very 
edge  of  the  swamp,  but  the  second,  third,  and 
fourth  companies  were  somewhat  in  the  rear,  — 
for  the  fierce  hand-to-hand  fighting  had  caused 
the  battalion  formations  to  disappear,  although 
the  companies  were  still  in  uneven  lines.  In  a 
few  words  Deck  explained  to  Captains  Blenks  and 
Richland,  and  his  brother,  what  was  expected  of 
them,  and  the  three  companies  swung  around  and 
made  through  the  timber  for  the  highway. 

The  Confederates  had  gone  up  the  road  a 
little  beyond  the  rise.  Here  their  leader  had 
halted  them,  and  sent  back  several  messengers 
to  tell  of  what  he  had  done.  The  messengers 
were  midway  between  the  retreating  troops  and 
the  scene  of  the  conflict  when  Deck's  command 
came  upon  them.  There  were  three  Confed- 
erates, and  they  came  to  a  sudden  stop  in  deep 
perplexity. 


434  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

"  Surrender  !  "  cried  Captain  Blenks,  who 
was  at  the  front  with  the  major.  And  as  the 
Confederates  made  no  sign  he  turned  to  his 
superior.     "  Shall  I  open  on  them,  Major  Lyon  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  answered  Deck,  as  one  of  the  trio 
raised  his  pistol.  He  was  about  to  fire  when 
the  second  company  sent  in  a  volley,  and  the 
man  dropped.  The  others  turned  and  sped  for 
their  company  at  the  best  speed  their  legs  could 
command. 

"  Forward !  "  ordered  Major  Deck,  and  away 
went  the  three  companies  up  the  highway  until 
within  two  hundred  yards  of  the  Confederates. 
As  they  came  up  over  the  rise  the  enemy  opened 
upon  them,  and  they  returned  the  fire.  Then 
Deck  turned  to  his  brother. 

"  Artie,  move  over  into  the  field  and  to  their 
right,"  he  said.  "  The  other  companies  can  handle 
them  from  the  front." 

Without  delay  Captain  Artie  Lyon  switched 
off  as  commanded.  The  second  company  was 
sent  to  the  opposite  side,  where  there  was  a  slight 
break  in  the  timber. 

The  Confederate  ranking  captain,  seeing  this 
new  move,  and  realizing  that  his  command  was 


CAPTAIN   ARTIE   LYON   IS   SHOT   DOWN      435 

not  more  than  three-quarters  as  strong  as  the 
enemy,  resolved  to  continue  his  retreat.  But  the 
road  curved  and  this  brought  him  closer  and  closer 
to  the  position  Artie  Lyon's  company  was  riding 
for,  a  split  in  the  road  where  there  was  a  wide  open 
field  backed  by  some  rocks  impossible  to  travel 
across.  Before  the  Confederate  had  time  to  think 
twice,  Artie  gave  him  two  volleys,  and,  maddened 
beyond  endurance,  the  Confederate  ordered  a 
charge  in  the  hope  of  breaking  through  the  Union 
line  and  rejoining  the  balance  of  the  regiment  of 
the  South. 

The  rush  was  such  as  only  certain  Southern 
commands  were  in  the  habit  of  making,  a  wild, 
delirious  oncoming,  with  but  one  purpose,  —  to 
crush  all  that  was  in  front,  regardless  of  conse- 
quences. These  rushes  were  truly  soul-inspiring 
and  worthy  of  a  better  cause.  In  many  cases 
.they  brought  victory,  but  the  victory  was 
literally  drowned  out  by  the  blood  which  flowed. 

It  was  so  in  the  present  case.  Captain  Artie's 
company  met  the  shock  like  true  soldiers  fighting 
for  a  cause  they  knew  was  both  lofty  and  just. 
The  clash  of  steel,  the  crack  of  musketry,  the  din, 
confusion,  and  smoke,  the   yelling  and    cheering, 


436  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

were  beyond  description.  It  was  a  hand-to-hand 
encounter,  in  which  every  man  had  to  do  for 
himself,  leaving  his  nearest  neighbor  to  do  as  he 
saw  fit. 

The  shock  came  before  Major  Lyon  could  do 
anything  to  prevent  it;  but  without  waiting  an 
instant  he  ordered  the  other  companies'  to  this 
part  of  the  field,  and  both  commands  fired  as  they 
ran,  aiming  at  the  rear  lines  of  the  Confederates, 
which  were  not  yet  mixed  up  in  the  melee.  The 
companies  then  went  into  close  action.  Captain 
Richland's  men  actually  riding  over  the  last  line 
of  the  enemy. 

Deck  saw  that  Artie  was  being  hard  pressed 
personally,  having  gone  directly  to  the  front  to 
urge  his  command  to  stand  firm.  The  young 
captain  was  daring  to  the  last  degree.  "Don't 
give  them  an  inch  !  "  he  shouted.  "  Down  with 
them  !  Drive  them  back,  boys  ! "  And  the  "boys" 
did  drive  them  back,  twenty  yards  or  more.  Artie 
was  waving  his  sabre  on  high  and  continued  in  the 
front,  when  suddenly  Deck  was  horrified  to  see 
him  throw  up  both  arras,  reel  from  the  saddle, 
and  disappear  from  view  in  the  surging  mass  of 
cavalrymen  and  infantry  around  him. 


CAPTAIN    ARTIE    LYON    IS    SHOT    DOWN      437 

"  Artie  !  "  he  cried,  but  the  tumult  drowned 
Deck's  voice.  Forgetting  aught  else,  he  urged 
Ceph  into  the  lines  and  straight  for  that  fatal 
spot,  fully  expecting  to  find  poor  Artie  a  corpse 
He  had  yet  a  dozen  yards  to  go  when  he  saw 
Second  Lieutenant  Milton  falling  back  bearing 
the  young  captain  in  his  arms.  Artie's  eyes  were 
closed,  and  the  clothing  about  his  left  side  was 
saturated  with  blood. 

"  Dead  ? "  asked  the  major,  hoarsely.  He 
could  scarcely  speak. 

"  I'm  afraid  so.  Major  ;  but  I'm  not  certain," 
was  the  answer.  "  Shall  I  take  him  to  the 
rear  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Lieutenant,  and  see  that  he  gets  the 
best  of  care  if  he  still  lives,"  said  Deck.  "  I  will 
come  myself,  as  soon  as  I  can." 

By  this  time  the  other  companies  had  rushed 
in,  and  now  the  major  found  it  absolutely  neces- 
sary to  re-form  his  battalion  of  three  companies. 
This  was  done  inside  of  five  minutes,  and  h\ 
this  time  the  force  of  the  first  shock  was  over; 
but  the  Confederates  had  lost  nearly  one-third 
of  their  command,  while  Captain  Artie's  com- 
pany had  fared  little  better. 


438  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

Finding  the  rush  of  no  avail,  so  far  as  breaking 
through  was  concerned,  the  Confederate  leader 
thought  once  again  of  retreg-ting.  But  Deck  had 
hemmed  him  in,  and  a  galling  fire  from  the  front 
and  the  left  brought  him  to  his  wit's  end.  The 
fire  was  about  to  be  repeated,  when  the  second 
captain  of  the  Confederates  interfered,  and  after 
a  few  words  had  passed  between  him  and  his 
superior,  a  flag  of  truce  was  hoisted.  The  pris- 
oners taken  numbered  exactly  thirty-seven,  all 
the  other  Confederates  being  either  wounded  or 
dead. 

The  fight  had  hardly  drawn  to  a  close  when 
Colonel  Lyon's  orderly  dashed  up,  to  learn 
from  Deck  how  things  were  going. 

"  They  have  surrendered,"  answered  the  major. 
"  Their  loss  is  very  heavy  and  ours  is  likewise 
considerable  —  due  entirely  to  their  pig-headed 
leader,  who  kept  on  fighting  when  he  should  have 
saved  his  men  and  surrendered,"  he  added,  with 
perhaps  more  bitterness  than  was  necessary. 
He  was  thinking  of  poor  Artie. 

"  We  have  taken  about  half  of  the  men  in  the 
swamp,  and  the  battle  is  over  there,  also,"  said 
the    orderly.      "  The    remaining    troops    escaped 


CAPTAIN    ARTIE    LYON    IS    SHOT    DOWN       439 

into    the    timber,   and    Captain    Knox's   company 
has  gone  after  them."' 

"  Tell  Colonel  Lyon  that  Captain  Artie  Lyon  is 
either  dead  or  badly  wounded,"  said  Deck,  and 
rode  off,  to  learn  the  truth  concerning  his  cousin 
and  foster-brother's  condition. 


CHAPTER    XXXIV 

MAJOR  LYON  MAKES  A  DISCOVERY  AND  DELIVERS 
A  MESSAGE 

Deck  found  Artie  lying  in  a  sheltered  spot, 
on  a  hastily  constructed  couch  of  pine  boughs. 
Over  the  wounded  young  man  stood  Surgeon 
Farnwright,  binding  up  a  ghastly  wound  in  the 
shoulder. 

"What  do  you  think  of  this,  Surgeon?"  asked 
the  major,  anxiously. 

"  Your  brother  is  in  a  bad  way,  Major,"  was 
the  grave  response.  "The  bullet  has  shattered 
the  shoulder  blade  and  gone  into  the  back." 

"  What  are  his  chances  of  recovery,  in  your 
opinion  ?  " 

"  Not  the  best,  to  be  candid.  They  would  be 
better  if  he  could  be  removed  immediately  to 
some  house  where  he  would  not  be  disturbed. 
In  such  cases  as  these,  sudden  jarrings  are 
ofttimes  fatal." 

"  I  will  see  what  can  be  done  for  him,"  went 
440 


MAJOR   LYON   MAKES    A   DISCOVERY         441 

on  Deck.  "  In  the  meantime,  do  your  best  for 
him." 

"  I  always  do  my  best  in  all  our  cases,  Major," 
returned  the  surgeon,  and  turned  away  to  aid 
some  others  who  were  wounded. 

In  a  few  minutes  Colonel  Lyon  rode  up  and 
was  taken  to  Artie's  side.  The  poor  fellow  was 
now  conscious,  and  on  seeing  them  he  tried  to 
smile,  but  the  attempt  was  a  sickly  one. 

"  Don't  talk,  Artie,"  said  the  colonel,  as  he 
saw  the  young  captain  make  the  attempt.  "  We 
will  do  what  we  can  for  you,  and  your  recovery 
depends  upon  your  keeping  quiet." 

"  If  you  will  relieve  me  from  duty,  I  will  try 
to  find  some  house  to  which  Artie  can  be  taken," 
put  in  Deck.  "I  am  afraid  the  field  hospital  is 
too  far  off." 

"  The  trouble  is,  if  we  take  him  to  a  private 
place  he  will  have  no  doctor's  care,"  answered 
Colonel  Lyon.  "  Surgeon  Farnwright  must  re- 
main with  the  others  that  are  wounded." 

At  this  announcement  Deck's  hopes  fell  for 
an  instant.  "  Well,  I'll  see  what  I  can  do  any- 
way—  if  you  will  let  me  off,"  he  returned  soberly. 
"  It  would  be  too  bad   to  have  him   die  for  the 


442  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

want  of  care.  Mother  would  never  forgive  us 
—  or  Dorcas  and  Hope." 

"That  is  true,  Dexter."  The  colonel's  voice 
sounded  strangely  husky.  "  Do  your  best,  — 
and  spare  no  money,  if  money  is  of  avail,"  and 
he  turned  to  consult  with  Surgeon  Farnwright 
once  more. 

The  major  had  noticed,  during  the  ride  along 
the  timber  road,  a  little  farmhouse,  set  in  a  grove 
of  walnuts,  standing  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
back  from  the  scene  of  the  battle  described  in 
the  last  chapter.  He  now  set  off  for  this  farm- 
house post-haste,  to  see  what  accommodations  it 
might  offer. 

It  was  past  noon,  and  from  a  distance  came 
a  heavy  firing.  Although  he  did  not  know  it, 
the  Confederate  cavalry  had  crossed  the  creek 
in  force,  and  were  now  charging  straight  for 
Crawfish  Springs  and  the  hospital  located  there. 
The  brigade  under  Colonel  Long  was  sustaining 
the  main  attack,  although  other  of  General  Mitch- 
ell's cavalry  was  in  the  vicinity. 

As  Deck  rode  toward  the  farmhouse,  he 
noticed  that  all  of  the  lower  windows  were 
boarded  up,  as  if   to  resist  an   invasion.     Some 


MAJOR    LYON   MAKES   A   DISCOVERY         443 

of  the  upper  windows  were  also  served  in  the 
same  way,  but  two  or  three  of  them  were  partly 
unprotected. 

Riding  to  the  door,  he  dismounted,  and  used 
the  iron  knocker  lustily.  The  clank-clank 
brought  forth  no  reply,  and  he  used  the  knocker 
again,  with  additional  force. 

"  Please  don't  hammer  that  door  down  !  "  came 
in  a  shrill  female  voice,  and  now  the  head  of 
an  elderly  lady  appeared  at  one  of  the  upper 
windows.  The  lady  carried  a  pistol  of  ancient 
pattern  in  her  hand,  and  her  wrinkled  face  was 
full  of  determination. 

"  I  should  like  to  talk  to  you,"  said  Deck,  and 
he  felt  half  like  smiling  when  he  saw  the  old- 
time  weapon. 

"  I  don't  want  to  talk  to  you,"  was  the  short 
reply.     "I  have  nothing  to  do  with  this  war." 

"  I  am  sorry  to  disturb  you,  madam,  but  one 
of  our  captains  has  been  badly  wounded  and  he 
is  in  need  of  some  quiet  spot  where  he  can 
rest." 

"  My  place  is  no  hospital,  sir.  Take  him  to 
the  regular  army  hospital." 

"  Unfortunately,  that  is  just  what  we  cannot 


444  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

do  —  for  the  present.  He  needs  absolute  quiet, 
or  he  may  die." 

"  I  don't  want  him  here  —  don't  want  anybody 
here,"  was  the  slow  but  positive  reply.  "  As  I 
said  before,  I  have  nothing  to  do  with  this  war." 

"  Perhaps  you  are  a  Southern  sympathizer  ? " 
went  on  Deck,  hardly  knowing  how  to  proceed. 

"  If  I  am  it  is  none  of  your  business,  young 
man.  I  can  tell  you  one  thing,  I  am  not  afraid  of 
a  suit  of  soldier  clothing,  no  matter  who  wears  it." 

"  Oh,  Aunt  Clarissa,  don't  be  rude,"  came  in 
a  soft  voice  from  behind  the  elderly  lady,  and 
Deck  saw  a  dainty  hand  placed  on  one  of  the 
gaunt  shoulders. 

"You  be  still,  Rosebel,"  was  the  crusty  inter- 
ruption. "I  can  manage  this  matter  very  well 
alone.  Do  you  think  I  am  going  to  open  my 
house  to  any  of  the  military  —  least  of  all  to 
those  Yankees?  I  am  sure  if  I  won't  have  our 
own  soldiers  here  I  won't  have  those  who  are 
fighting  us ! " 

"  But  he  says  the  captain  is  badly  wounded, 
and  may  die,"  pleaded  Rosebel,  and  now  she 
pressed  closer  to  the  window,  to  get  a  better 
look  at  the  young  Union  officer  below. 


MAJOR   LYON   MAKES   A   DISCOVERY         445 

Her  soft  voice  interested  Deck,  and  he  came 
as  close  as  possible  under  the  window  to  see  her 
fully.  As  he  gazed  at  her  he  gave  a  start. 
Where  had  he  seen  that  face  before?  Some- 
where, he  was  positive  of  it — but  where? 

"  Rosebel,  get  back,"  ordered  the  elderly  lady, 
and  tried  to  crowd  the  maiden  from  the  window, 
but  she  would  not  budge. 

"Aunt  Clarissa,  remember,  Paul  is  in  the 
army,"  she  said.  "  I  know  I  did  not  want  him 
to  join,  but  if  he  was  wounded  and  among 
strangers  —  "  She  did  not  finish,  excepting  with 
a  long  sigh. 

Deck  could  hear  her  words  plainly,  and  at 
the  mentioning  of  the  name,  Paul,  his  heart 
gave  a  bound,  then  sank  like  a  lump  of  lead 
in  his  bosom.  He  had  found  the  missing  sister 
of  the  young  Confederate  captain  who  lay  in 
that  cold  trench  many  miles  away,  with  a  stick 
for  a  headstone,  upon  which  was  inscribed  :  — 

Rosebel's  Paul  Lies  Buried  Here. 

"  Your  name  is  Rosebel  ? "  he  said  ;  and  hi.v 
voice  was  as  soft  as  when  he  had  spoken  to 
Kate  Belthorpe  in  his  most  sentimental  mood. 


446  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

''Yes." 

"  And  your  brother  Paul  was  a  captain  in 
the  Confederate  service  ?  " 

"  Yes."  And  now  the  young  lady's  eyes  began 
to  fill  with  wonder. 

"  You  lived  in  Chattanooga  with  your  brother, 
and  you  —  you  had  a  difference  of  opinion  about 
his  joining  the  army?" 

"  We  did  have  —  and  I  am  sorry  for  it,"  an- 
swered the  maiden.  "  But  who  are  you  to  speak 
thus  to  me?     Do  you  know  my  brother?" 

"  Rosebel,  do  not  be  hasty  in  talking  to  this 
young  man,"  interposed  the  aunt. 

"  I  did  know  your  brother.  Miss  Rosebel.  I 
do  not  know  your  other  name." 

"  And  yet  you  knew  my  brother  !  " 

"  He  must  be  telling  falseho —  "  began  the  aunt, 
but  the  girl's  hand  over  her  mouth  checked  her. 

"  I  fell  in  with  a  young  Confederate  captain 
whose  name  was  Paul,"  explained  Deck,  sadly. 
"  He  said  he  had  a  sister  Rosebel  living  in 
Chattanooga.  He  had  quarrelled  with  that  sis- 
ter, and  in  anger  had  hidden  some  money  away 
so  that  she  could  not  get  it." 

"  It  was  Paul  !  "  cried  Rosebel  Greene,  for  such 


MAJOR    LYON    MAKES    A    DISCOVERY         447 

was  her  full  name.  "  Oh,  tell  me  about  him,  and 
how  he  came  to  tell  you  this.     Is  he  well?" 

The  young  major  looked  at  her,  then  turned 
his  face  away. 

"I  am  very  sorry  for  you,  Miss  Rosebel,  very 
sorry.  He  fought  as  only  a  true  soldier  can  fight 
— to  the  end." 

"He  is  dead!"  came  with  a  moan.  "Paul  is 
dead.  Aunt  Clarissa  !  Oh,  what  shall  I  do  now?  " 
And  the  girl  sank  into  the  elderly  lady's  arms. 

It  was  a  trying  moment  for  Deck,  especially 
so  as  he  could  do  nothing,  in  his  present  position, 
to  aid  the  young  lady.  He  waited  and  saw  both 
females  leave  the  window.  A  minute  after  the 
front  door  was  opened  by  the  elderly  lady,  and 
he  was  asked  to  enter. 

"  I  hope  you  are  not  fooling  my  niece,"  she 
said.     "  What  is  your  name  ?  " 

"  A  man  would  not  be  human  to  fool  upon 
such  a  heartrending  subject,"  answered  Deck. 
"I  am  Major  Dexter  Lyon,  of  the  Kentucky 
cavalry.     May  I  ask  that  young  lady's  name  ?  " 

"Rosebel  Greene.  I  am  Miss  Clarissa  Pome- 
roy,  her  aunt.  Rosebel  used  to  live  in  Chatta- 
nooga, but  when  Paul  went  to  the  war  and  took 


448  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

all  their  money  with  him,  she  came  to  live  here 
with  me." 

"  Paul  did  not  take  the  money  with  him,  Miss 
Pomeroy.  He  left  it  behind  him,  in  hiding.  I 
was  with  him  when  he  died,  and  I  promised  to 
find  his  sister,  if  possible,  and  tell  her  where  the 
money  was  secreted." 

The  two  entered  the  little  sitting  room  of  the 
farmhouse,  where  Rosebel  had  sank  down  in  a 
rocking-chair,  crying  silently.  In  a  broken  voice 
she  asked  to  be  told  about  Paul,  and  sitting  be- 
side her,  Deck  gave  her  the  particulars  just  as 
they  had  occurred,  and  told  where  the  money 
was  to  be  found.  The  recital  brought  tears  to 
Deck's  eyes,  also,  which  he  hastily  brushed  away, 
and  Miss  Pomeroy  was  likewise  visibly  affected. 

"  I  am  glad  to  know  Paul  wasn't  so  bad  as 
to  run  off  with  the  money,"  the  elderly  lady 
observed,  after  a  vigorous  use  of  her  handker- 
chief. "The  house  in  Chattanooga  is  shut  up 
now,  but  even  if  it  wasn't,  it  isn't  likely  any- 
body would  hunt  down  in  the  cellar  for  that 
money." 

"I  would  rather  have  Paul  back!"  moaned 
Rosebel  Greene.     "  Oh,  Paul,  Paul,  how  much  I 


MAJOR   LYON   MAKES    A    DISCOVERY         449 

shall  miss  you  !  "  And  unable  to  restrain  her 
emotions,  she  rushed  from  the  room. 

Deck  was  in  a  quandary,  and  looked  at  Miss 
Pomeroy.  She  saw  his  perplexity,  and  quickly 
made  matters  easy  for  him. 

"You  may  bring  that  wounded  officer  here," 
she  said.  "  We  will  do  the  best  we  can  for  him. 
Who  is  he?" 

"His  name  is  Captain  Artie  Lyon.  He  is  in 
reality  my  cousin,  but  he  has  always  been  a  mem- 
ber of  our  family,  and  I  look  at  him  almost  as  a 
twin  brother." 

"If  he  is  so  close  a  relative  we  will  do  our  very 
best  for  him,  Major  Lyon,"  answered  Miss  Pomeroy. 
"  I  have  had  some  experience  as  a  nurse,  and  Rose- 
bel  is  excellent  around  a  sickbed." 

"  What  he  wants  principally  is  quiet,"  rejoined 
Major  Deck  ;  and  after  a  few  words  more  he  with- 
drew, his  thoughts  divided  between  poor  Artie 
and  the  bereaved  girl  left  behind. 

It  was  no  easy  matter,  in  those  trying  times,  to 
obtain  an  ambulance,  and  after  scouting  around 
for  the  best  part  of  half  an  hour  without  success. 
Deck  decided  to  have  Artie  carried  on  a  stretcher 
to  the  farmhouse. 


450  AN    UNDIVIDED   UNION 

The  young  captain  was  in  considerable  pain, 
and  the  journey  was  by  no  means  easy  for  him. 
Four  men  carried  him,  and  Deck  went  along. 
Two  rests  were  taken  before  the  dwelling  was 
gained.  At  the  doorway  both  Miss  Pomeroy 
and  Rosebel  met  them.  A  small  bed  had  been 
put  up  in  the  sitting  room,  and  Artie  was  placed 
upon  this ;  and  hardly  had  this  been  accom- 
plished when  Surgeon  Farnwright  dashed  up  on 
his  horse,  to  give  the  ladies  instructions  and  to 
leave  some  medicine  for  the  patient.  Rosebel 
had  now  dried  her  tears,  and  went  to  work 
bravely,  working  with  the  tenderness  of  a  sis- 
ter over  the  sufferer. 

"  He  shall  not  be  disturbed,"  she  said  to  Deck. 
"  Aunty  and  I  will  take  care  of  that." 

Knowing  he  was  needed  in  the  field,  Deck  re- 
mained no  longer  than  he  deemed  necessary.  An 
urgent  call  from  Crawfish  Springs  had  reached 
the  Riverlawns,  and  Colonel  Lyon  was  now  on 
the  way  to  that  locality,  taking  with  him  all 
but  the  twelfth  company,  which  was  escorting 
the  prisoners  to  the  rear.  The  major  joined  the 
command  just  as  it  was  coming  up  in  the  rear 
of  Colonel  Long's  brigade. 


MAJOR   LYON   MAKES   A   DISCOVERY        451 

The  fighting  had  been  heavy,  and  the  Confed- 
erate commander,  Wheeler,  had  lost  many  men. 
They  had  come  over  the  Chickamauga,  hardly 
thinkmg  that  any  Union  cavalry  remained  in 
the  neighborhood.  For  a  time  the  battle-ground 
was  near  Glass's  Mill,  but  gradually  the  Union- 
ists were  driven  toward  Crawfish  Springs,  while 
the  Confederates  massed  themselves  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  field  hospital  of  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland. 

Again  Deck  found  himself  in  the  fray,  fighting 
as  hard  as  ever.  The  Riverlawns  had  suffered 
heavily,  but  the  organization  still  maintained  its 
full  number  of  companies.  It  supported  Long 
in  the  second  and  third  attacks  and  lost  seven 
additional  men,  including  a  second  lieutenant 
and  two  sergeants. 

By  this  time  word  came  to  Thomas  from  Rose- 
crans  to  fall  back  to  Rossville,  on  the  road  to 
Chattanooga.  To  further  this  movement,  some 
cavalry  was  needed  to  protect  the  immense 
wagon  trains,  and  the  Riverlawns  were  called 
to  perform  part  of  this  service.  It  was  no  easy 
work,  and  there  was  but  little  glory  in  it ;  yet 
it  had  to  be  done,  and  every  cavalryman,  from 


452  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

Colonel  Lyon  down,  went  at  it  heart  and  soul. 
On  the  way  to  Rossville,  the  wagon  train  suf- 
fered two  raids,  but  the  Confederates  were 
beaten  off  with  a  heavy  loss.  In  the  meantime, 
an  ammunition  train  arrived,  and  infantry  and 
cavalry  were  alike  supplied  with  whatever  was 
wanted.  The  movement  of  the  wagons  was 
slow,  but  by  midnight  the  Riverlawns'  duty 
came  to  an  end,  and  they  went  into  camp  on 
the  high  ground  not  far  from  the  turnpike 
running  from  Chattanooga  through  Rossville  to 
Ringgold. 


CHAPTER   XXXV 

THE   SIEGE   OF   CHATTANOOGA   AND   A   HUNT 
FOR    DRUGS 

"  This  is  the  worst  situation  I  ever  heard  of, 
Deck.     What  in  the  world  are  we  to  do  ?  " 

"I  fancy  General  Rosecrans  is  asking  himself 
the  same  question,  Tom,"  answered  the  major  of 
the  first  battalion,  gravely.  "  For  myself,  I  must 
say  I  can't  answer." 

"  We'll  be  eating  horse-meat  next,"  put  in 
Life  Knox,  who  stood  by.  "  And  the  horses  are 
dying  right  along,  too." 

"  Poor  Ceph  !  He  hasn't  had  enough  to  eat 
for  a  week,"  said  Deck,  with  a  shake  of  his  head. 
"But  let  all  that  go.  What  I  am  thinking  of 
is  the  medicine  my  father  and  Artie  require. 
If  that  can't  be  had.  Surgeon  Farnwright  says  he 
won't  be  responsible  for  consequences." 

"I'd  rather  fight  than  starve  like  this,"  con- 
cluded Tom  Belthorpe,  and  he  walked  away. 

The  Army  of  the  Cumberland  had  retired  to 
463 


454  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

Chattanooga  several  weeks  before,  and  Bragg 
had  followed  Rosecrans  closely,  taking  possession 
of  Lookout  Mountain,  Missionary  Ridge,  and  sev- 
eral other  important  points.  The  Confederate 
leader  had  failed  to  defeat  his  Northern  foe,  and 
now  calculated  to  cut  off  all  the  Unionist's  lines 
of  communication  and  starve  him  out.  He  had 
already  cut  off  travel  on  the  river  and  on  the 
railroad,  and  the  only  supplies  to  come  into 
Chattanooga  had  to  be  brought  through  the 
mountains. 

The  state  of  affairs  in  Chattanooga  during 
this  siege  had  grown  rapidly  from  bad  to  worse. 
The  first  thing  to  give  out  was  fresh  meats, 
for  the  Confederate  cavalry  leader,  Wheeler, 
raided  the  country  for  miles  around  Chatta- 
nooga and  gathered  in  all  of  the  animals  in 
sight.  Next,  the  fodder  ran  short,  and  horses 
and  mules  dropped  in  the  streets,  and  whole  de- 
tachments of  regiments  were  kept  busy  burying 
the  beasts,  to  prevent  the  spread  of  disease. 
And  now  rations  were  scarce,  and  not  a  man 
of  the  whole  Army  of  the  Cumberland  had  had 
a  square  meal  for  a  week  or  over. 

And  yet,   to  Major  Deck  Lyon,   this   was   not 


THE   SIEGE   OF    CHATTANOOGA  455 

the  worst  feature  of  the  long-to-be-remembered 
siege.  On  the  day  following  the  retreat  to  the 
city  proper  an  ambulance  had  been  procured 
and  Captain  Artie  had  been  brought  in,  as  care- 
fully as  possible,  and  taken  to  the  house  formerly 
occupied  by  the  Greenes.  Rosebel  Greene  and 
Miss  Pomeroy  had  come  in  with  the  wounded 
captain,  the  former  feeling  it  her  duty  to  nurse 
the  young  man,  because  of  what  Deck  had  done 
for  her,  and  the  aunt  saying  she  would  not  re- 
main at  the  farmhouse  alone,  and  because  she 
was  curious  to  see  if  Rosebel  would  really  find 
the  money  hidden  in  the  cellar,  as  the  dead 
brother  had  mentioned. 

The  money  had  been  found  intact,  and  then 
hidden  again,  for  there  was  no  telling  what 
might  happen  in  those  troublesome  times.  Artie 
had  stood  the  journey  fairly  well,  and  was  put 
in  the  best  room  the  house  afforded. 

During  these  days  the  Riverlawns  had  been 
kept  busy  in  the  vicinity  of  Camp  Thomas,  some 
twenty-eight  miles  out  of  the  city.  Here  one 
day  they  had  had  a  fierce  brush  with  Forrest, 
and  when  it  was  over  it  was  discovered  that 
Colonel  Lyon  was  missing. 


456  AN    UNDIVIDED   UNION 

The  discovery  had  caused  a  shock  to  Deck, 
and  without  delay  he  had  organized  a  searching 
party,  to  learn  if  his  father  was  killed,  wounded, 
or  a  prisoner  of  the  enemy.  The  search  had 
lasted  until  nearly  midnight  and  the  gallant 
colonel  had  been  found,  lying  partly  under  his 
horse,  the  latter  dead,  and  the  colonel  shot 
through  the  head  and  unconscious. 

As  Artie  was  at  Rosebel  Greene's  house,  it  was 
but  natural  that  Deck  should  take  his  father  to 
the  same  place,  since  the  regular  hospitals  in 
Chattanooga  were  crowded  far  beyond  their  ca- 
pacity. The  colonel  was  placed  in  a  chamber 
adjoining  that  of  his  foster-son,  and  Rosebel  and 
Miss  Pomeroy  became  his  nurses.  Deck  promising 
to  pay  them  handsomely  for  whatever  was  done. 
Rosebel  said  she  wanted  no  pay.  "  You  were  a 
friend  to  my  brother,"  were  her  words;  "that 
is  sufficient." 

For  two  days  the  colonel  had  lain  unconscious, 
and  Surgeon  Farnwright  and  the  doctor  called 
into  consultation  with  him  had  given  Deck  but 
small  hope.  "  Poor  Artie's  case  was  bad  enough, 
Major,"  said  the  surgeon.  "Your  father  —  "  and 
he  finished  with  a  shake  of  his  head. 


THE   SIEGE   OF   CHATTANOOGA  457 

"  The  trouble  is,"  said  the  doctor,  later  on, 
"the  colonel  is  suffering  for  some  medicine  we 
cannot  obtain  in  Chattanooga.  We  have  a  good 
general  supply  here,  but  there  are  certain  things 
which  I  know  would  do  your  father  a  great  deal 
of  good.  And  they  would  do  your  brother  good, 
too." 

The  announcement  that  certain  drugs  which 
were  so  sorely  needed  were  not  procurable  in 
Chattanooga  made  Major  Lyon  feel  very  bad. 
He  got  the  doctor  to  write  down  a  list  of  the 
missing  articles  for  him,  and  started  out  on  a 
personal  hunt,  visiting  every  druggist  he  could 
find,  and  offering  large  sums  of  money,  even 
for  small  quantities. 

"  Can't  be  had,"  said  one  druggist.  "  You  will 
have  to  wait  until  this  siege  comes  to  an  end  and 
we  get  in  some  new  supplies." 

"  I  can't  wait.  My  father  and  my  cousin  may 
die  in  the  meantime,"  answered  Deck,  and  con- 
tinued his  search  on  foot.  For  several  days 
he  had  not  ridden  Ceph,  deeming  the  poor  beast 
too  weak  from  lack  of  food  to  bear  such  a 
burden. 

General   Rosecrans   had   been   considering   the 


458  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

advisability  of  making  a  determined  effort  against 
the  enemy,  but  in  the  midst  of  this  he  was  re- 
lieved of  his  command.  The  Army  of  the  Cum- 
berland was  placed  in  a  new  military  division, 
to  be  known  as  that  of  the  Mississippi,  under 
General  Grant,  and  General  Thomas  was  ordered 
to  fill  General  Rosecrans's  place.  General  Grant 
at  once  ordered  Thomas  to  "  hold  Chattanooga 
at  any  cost,"  and  added  that  he  would  come  on 
as  soon  as  possible  and  see  what  could  be  done. 

General  Grant,  the  leader  of  all  leaders,  the 
man  of  iron  will,  arrived  on  October  23.  The 
plans  made  by  Rosecrans  and  slightly  changed 
by  Thomas  were  approved,  and  movements  were 
made  to  put  them  into  immediate  execution. 

In  the  meantime,  General  Sherman  had  been 
engaged  in  opening  up  the  Memphis  and  Charles- 
ton railroad  eastward,  hoping  by  this  means  to 
effect  a  communication  with  Chattanooga  through 
Huntsville.  But  Grant  had  ordered  him  to  cross 
the  Tennessee  at  Eastport,  and  this  was  done, 
and  Sherman  then  united  with  the  right  wing 
of  what  was  now  Thomas's  command.  Hooker 
had  before  been  ordered  to  move  to  Bridgeport, 
below    Chattanooga,    and    march    thence    by   the 


THE   SIEGE   OF    CHATTANOOGA  459 

wagon  road  to  Wauhatchie,  while  Palmer  was 
ordered  to  a  point  on  the  river  opposite  White- 
sides. 

The  plan  now  put  into  operation  was  one 
looking  to  the  seizing  of  a  spur  of  mountains 
overlooking  Lookout  Valley.  If  this  was  suc- 
cessfully accomplished,  Hooker  and  Palmer  would 
be  materially  aided  in  their  movements,  and  the 
river  would  be  opened  for  steamboats  as  far  as 
Brown's  Ferry. 

It  was  six  miles  to  Brown's  Ferry,  and  on 
the  night  of  the  26th  of  the  month,  eighteen 
hundred  men  under  General  Hazen  floated  down 
the  stream  in  sixty  pontoon  boats,  around  the 
sharp  bend,  and  past  nearly  three  miles  of  Con- 
federate pickets.  The  darkness  aided  their  move- 
ments, and  as  silently  as  ghests,  they  landed  at 
two  points,  overcame  the  pickets,  and  marched 
to  the  spurs  to  be  taken.  While  this  was  go- 
ing on,  another  force,  under  General  Smith, 
marched  by  the  north  bank  of  the  river,  and 
were  ferried  over  before  daylight.  A  large 
crowd  of  men  were  set  to  work,  and  by  early 
morning  a  pontoon  bridge  nine  hundred  feet 
long  was  swung  across  the  river,  and  all  points 


460  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

seized  were  protected  by  artillery  and  intrenched 
troops. 

The  Union  forces  now  commanded  the  high- 
way from  Lookout  Valley  to  Chattanooga  Valley, 
and  began  a  vigorous  attack  on  the  Confederates 
located  between  Shell  Mound  and  Lookout  Moun- 
tain. At  the  same  time  Hooker  advanced,  and 
Bragg  awoke  to  the  realization  of  the  fact  that 
a  genuine  effort  was  being  made  to  raise  the 
siege.  Half  a  dozen  small  but  sharp  conflicts 
followed,  and  then  the  Confederates  fell  back ; 
and  the  way  was  opened  to  Brown's'  Ferry, 
Bridgeport,  and  Stevenson,  both  by  the  river 
and    the    excellent  wagon  roads  on  either   bank. 

Many  a  commander  would  have  paused  here, 
but  not  so  Grant.  Without  delay  the  whole 
army  was  put  on  an  active  footing  and  supplied 
with  necessary  food,  clothing,  and  ammunition. 
Forage  was  brought  in  in  large  quantities,  and 
the  horses  and  mules  put  in  the  best  possible 
condition,  and  heavy  artillery  was  rushed  for- 
ward. In  the  meantime,  the  arrival  of  Gen- 
eral Sherman  with  reenforcements  was  eagerly 
awaited. 

The  Riverlawns,  as  a  body,  had  not  been  active 


THE   SIEGE   OF   CHATTANOOGA  461 

in  the  taking  of  Brown's  Ferry  and  the  spurs 
of  mountains  beyond,  but  a  detachment  under 
Major  Lyon  had  gone  on  with  Turchin's  brigade, 
to  clear  out  and  hold  a  gorge  through  which 
the  Bridgeport  road  ran  to  the  crossing.  The 
work  was  hazardous  in  the  extreme,  and  the 
first  two  companies  of  the  first  battalion  and 
Life  Knox's  company  with  them  received  a 
severe  fire  lasting  for  upward  of  two  hours. 

At  this  engagement  Deck  took  more  than  an 
ordinary  interest  in  his  work.  As  a  true  soldier, 
he  wanted  to  see  the  siege  raised.  More  than 
this,  he  wanted  to  obtain  the  drugs  so  much 
needed  by  his  father  and  Artie.  He  went  in 
with  a  vigor  almost  born  of  desperation,  and 
falling  against  a  body  of  Confederates  which 
were  little  better  than  guerillas,  his  command 
drove  them,  seven  hundred  strong,  a  distance 
of  two  miles  into  the  mountain  fastnesses. 

As  mentioned,  the  way  was  now  open  to 
Bridgeport,  Stevenson,  and  other  points,  and  Deck 
obtained  permission  to  visit  half  a  dozen  towns 
and    villages    in  quest    of   the    drugs    desired. 

He  took  Life  Knox  with  him,  and  the  pair 
were  gone  the  best  part  of  the  forty-eight  hours. 


462  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

Nothing  that  was  wanted  could  be  found  at  the 
places  named  ;  but  at  another  spot,  where  there 
was  a  cross-roads,  the  major  discovered  a  large 
general  store,  with  a  medicine  department  at- 
tached. 

Entering  the  place,  the  two  Union  officers  were 
confronted  by  a  burly  Confederate  over  six  feet 
high,  and  weighing  over  two  hundred  and  fifty 
pounds.  He  scowled  at  them,  but  did  not  dare 
to  abuse  them  openly. 

"  Yes,  I've  got  drugs,  but  I  ain't  sellin'  'em  to- 
day," he  said  shortly.  "  You'll  have  to  find 
another  drug  shop,  I  reckon." 

Deck  gazed  at  the  man  in  silence  for  a  mo- 
ment. Then  he  pulled  out  his  pistol  and  pointed 
it  at  the  fellow's  head. 

"  Sit  down  in  that  chair,  sir,"  he  ordered,  and 
the  burly  Confederate  almost  collapsed. 

"  Would  you  shoot  an  unarmed  man  ? "  he 
gasped. 

"  Not  if  he  behaved  himself." 

"  I  haven't  got  to  sell  my  drugs  if  I  don't  want 
to." 

"  In  this  case  I  think  you  have.  Life,  will  you 
keep  him  covered  ?  " 


THE   SIEGE   OF   CHATTANOOGA  463 

"Certainly,  Deck." 

"  I  want  certain  drugs  and  will  have  them  if 
they  are  in  your  stock.  I  will  pay  for  what  I 
take.  But  there  must  be  no  disturbance,"  went 
on  the  major; 

He  spoke  thus  for  the  benefit  of  two  clerks 
who  were  present  and  who  seemed  inclined  to  be 
ugly.  They  heard  him  and  allowed  him  to  move 
around  the  establishment  unmolested.  With  his 
list  in  one  hand  and  his  pistol  in  the  other,  he 
looked  over  all  the  bottles  and  packages  the  store 
contained. 

It  was  a  wearisome  search,  but  it  was  gratify- 
ing, for  out  of  four  articles  wanted.  Deck  found 
three.  He  then  interviewed  the  shopkeeper,  who 
declared  by  all  he  held  sacred  that  he  had  never 
had  the  fourth  article  and  doubted  if  any  of  the 
local  doctors  used  it. 

"  Well,  I  will  have  to  take  your  word  for  it," 
replied  Deck.  "Now  I  want  these.  What  are 
you  going  to  ask  me  for  them  ?  " 

The  storekeeper  hemmed  and  hawed  and  finally 
said  five  dollars  in  gold.  As  this  was  not  so  un- 
reasonable. Deck  paid  over  the  amount,  and  a 
moment  later  he  and  Life  left  the  store.     Before 


464  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

they  could  be  molested,  they  were  off  at  full  speed 
for  Chattanooga.  Here  they  took  the  drugs  to 
the  doctor  who  had  been  attending  Colonel  Lyon 
and  Artie. 

"  It  was  a  clever  haul,"  said  the  physician,  after 
listening  to  Deck's  story.  "The  drugs  will  do 
much  good,  I  think.  I  am  sorry,  however,  you 
could  not  obtain  that  fourth  article,  since  it  is  the 
most  important  of  the  lot.  These  will  help  your 
brother,  but  the  poor  colonel  will  still  have  a  hard 
time  of  it." 

"  But  he  will  live  —  and  so  will  Artie  ? " 
pleaded  the  major. 

"  While  there  is  life  there  is  hope,"  answered 
the  doctor,  and  that  was  the  only  consolation 
Deck  could  get.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  both  the 
lives  of  the  colonel  and  the  youthful  captain 
hung  upon  a  thread. 

General  Sherman  having  come  up,  and  Bragg 
having  weakened  his  forces  by  letting  Long- 
street's  command  leave  him,  to  do  battle  else- 
where, Grant  lost  no  time  in  moving  forward. 
Hooker,  holding  Lookout  Valley,  faced  the 
enemy  occupying  the  heights,  while  Thomas 
was   stationed   before   Missionary  Ridge.      Sher- 


THE   SIEGE   OF   CHATTANOOGA  465 

man  was  now  commanded  to  take  position  on 
the  right  bank  of  the  river  above  the  city,  with 
the  idea  that  he  could  afterward  cross  and 
seize  another  portion  of  the  ridge  beyond,  as 
yet  unfortified.  A  portion  of  the  cavalry,  under 
Long,  was  assigned  to  aid  him,  and  the  River- 
lawns  went  with  this  body,  all  of  the  other 
horsemen  remaining  in  camp. 

The  advance  of  the  cavalry  was  made  in  a 
violent  thunderstorm,  such  as  had  not  struck 
the  command  for  many  a  day,  and  this  delayed 
operations  for  twenty-four  hours  or  more. 
When  the  pontoon  bridge  over  the  river  was 
reached,  it  was  found  that  the  wind  and  the 
rush  of  the  current  had  parted  it,  and  no  troops 
could  cross  until  repairs  were  made.  The 
Riverlawns  went  into  temporary  camp  under 
the  shelter  of  a  long  hill,  but  everybody  was 
wet  to  the  skin. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Gordon  was  now  in  com- 
mand, and  he  and  Deck  went  off  in  the  rain  to 
take  a  survey  of  the  situation.  On  the  return, 
they  stumbled  across  a  camp  of  a  dozen  or  more 
Confederate  guerillas.  Shots  were  exchanged 
and    the    guerillas    withdrew.       In    doing    this, 


466  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

several  rode  close  to  Deck,  and  the  major  was 
amazed  to  hear  one  of  them  mentioned  by  his 
companion  as  Totterly.  He  glanced  at  the  fel- 
low and  saw  that  he  was  tall,  with  a  marked 
stoop  to  his  left  shoulder,  and  that  his  nose  did 
not  point  straight  ahead.  The  description  fitted 
perfectly  to  that  given  of  the  guerilla  who  had 
rifled  the  safe  at  Riverlawn  and  made  off  with 
five  hundred  dollars,  some  jewellery,  and  the 
paper  intrusted  to  Noah  Lyon,  which  was  not 
to  be  opened  until  five  years  after  Duncan 
Lyon's  death.  This  man's  name  had  been  Tot- 
terly, and  Deck  instantly  concluded  that  the 
man  in  front  of  him  and  the  raider  of  River- 
lawn  were  one  and  the  same  person. 

"  I  want  to  catch  that  man  !  "  he  cried  to 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Gordon,  and  dashed  off,  fir- 
ing several  shots  at  the  retreating  form.  Away 
they  went  through  the  brush  and  along  an  ill- 
defined  trail,  but  Totterly,  for  it  was  really  he, 
had  a  fair  lead,  and  had  recognized  his  pursuer, 
and  now  he  did  his  best  to  get  away.  Coming 
to  a  curve  in  the  road,  he  cut  into  some  timber, 
and  by  this  means  threw  Deck  completely  off 
the  scent  in  the  darkness  of  the  storm. 


THE   SIEGE   OF   CHATTANOOGA  467 

The  major  returned  to  the  encampment  in  a 
thoughtful  frame  of  mind.  One  chance  to  re- 
cover the  money,  jewels,  and  precious  paper 
had  slipped  from  him.  Would  another  such 
chance  ever  present  itself?  He  earnestly  hoped 
so,  and  resolved  that,  in  the  future,  he  would 
keep  his  eyes  wide  open  for  the  guerilla. 


CHAPTER   XXXVI 

FIERCE   FIGHTING  —  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION  — 
CONCLUSION 

While  Long's  cavalry  and  the  Riverlawns 
were  operating  as  mentioned,  General  Thomas, 
under  directions  of  Grant,  began  the  first  move- 
ment ending  in  the  great  battle  of  Chattanooga. 
With  about  twenty-five  thousand  men  the  new 
commander  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland 
marched  forth  to  Missionary  Ridge,  to  develop 
the  Confederate  lines  at  that  point.  The  march 
was  made  in  such  order  that  the  enemy  thought 
a  parade  was  taking  place  in  the  plain  below 
them,  and  it  was  not  until  Thomas's  skirmishers 
fired  on  their  outposts  that  they  became  aware 
that  a  battle  was  on  hand.  They  retreated  to 
their  rifle-pits  and  a  hot  engagement  resulted, 
and  a  larger  portion  of  Missionary  Ridge  was 
secured  to  the  Unionists.  On  the  next  day 
another  important  advance  was  made  along  the 
river. 

468 


FIERCE   FIGHTING  469 

Hooker  was  near  Lookout  Mountain,  and 
with  his  command  scaled  the  lofty  peaks,  drove 
the  Confederates  from  one  point  of  advantage 
to  another,  and  after  a  bloody  battle,  which  will 
never  be  forgotten  by  either  the  blue  or  the 
gray,  took  about  two  thousand  prisoners  and 
intrenched  himself  on  the  mountain-side  in  full 
view  of  Chattanooga.  This  contest  took  place 
in  the  rain  and  mist,  and  was  so  high  up  that 
nothing  of  it  could  be  seen  from  below  because 
of  the  clouds.  At  night  the  moon  came  out 
through  the  scattering  rain,  and  hundreds  of 
victorious  camp-fires  blazed  at  as  many  different 
points,  telling  of  the  victory  gained. 

Bragg  was  now  almost  at  his  wit's  end.  He 
had  lost  at  Tullahoma,  gained  nothing  on  the 
Chickaraauga,  failed  in  his  siege  of  Chattanooga, 
and  it  looked  as  if  the  remnant  of  his  command 
was  to  be  scattered  to  the  four  winds  of  heaven. 
He  had  made  some  mistakes,  officers  under  him 
had  failed  to  carry  out  his  commands,  and  now, 
when  it  was  too  late,  he  bitterly  regretted  hav- 
ing allowed  a  portion  of  his  soldiers  to  move 
on,  to  fight  elsewhere. 

The    dawning   of    day,    November   25,    saw   a 


470  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

hundred  flags  with  the  stars  and  stripes  float- 
ing from  the  peaks  of  Lookout  Mountain,  and 
Hooker  prepared  to  make  a  descent  and  sweep 
in  the  direction  of  Rossville  Gap.  In  the 
meantime  Bragg  marched  his  brigades  along 
Missionary  Ridge,  his  idea  being  to  either  over- 
whelm Sherman  or  seize  the  railroad,  which  is 
not  definitely  known.  He  had  been  driven 
out  of  Chattanooga  Valley,  and  it  was  now 
a  question  of  fight  or  leave  Chickamauga 
Valley. 

Sherman  was  in  need  of  reenforcements,  not 
having  brought  all  of  his  men  over  the  stream, 
and  Howard  marched  the  Eleventh  corps  to 
join  him.  Sherman  began,  without  delay,  a 
furious  assault  on  Bragg's  right,  and  leaving 
the  knoll  upon  which  he  was  intrenched,  swept 
up  that  upon  which  the  enemy  rested. 

The  line  of  battle,  two  miles  in  length,  was 
now  clearly  defined,  and  at  half  past  three  in 
the  afternoon  a  general  advance  was  ordered. 
The  Union  skirmishers  encountered  at  first  a 
series  of  rifle-pits.  The  orders  had  been  to 
take  these,  and  nothing  more  was  expected. 
The    battle   waged   with    great    fury,    and   soon 


riERCE   FIGHTING  471 

the  Confederates  were  seen  to  waver  and  aban- 
don first  one  pit  and  then  another. 

"  Let  us  go  on!  Down  with  the  enemy  !  "  was 
the  battle-cry,  and  no  sooner  were  the  pits  gained, 
than  the  Union  soldiers  leaped  over  them  and 
began  the  steep  ascent  of  the  mountain  before 
them,  the  Confederates  from  the  pits  fleeing  wildly 
in  all  directions,  and  a  great  number  being  made 
prisoners. 

The  peril  connected  with  the  storming  of  Mis- 
sionary Ridge  can  hardly  be  overestimated.  At 
some  points  the  sides  were  almost  perpendicular, 
and  at  others  the  shell  rock  crumbled  beneath  the 
touch.  At  the  top  were  stationed  forty  pieces  of 
artillery,  and  thousands  of  the  enemy.  Shot  and 
shell  rained  down  incessantly,  and  great  gaps 
were  torn  into  the  ranks,  as  company  after  com- 
pany pressed  up,  bound  to  gain  the  summit  at  any 
cost.  To  those  who  saw  it,  it  was  a  sight  the 
mind's  eye  could  never  lose.  The  officers  were  as 
excited  as  the  men,  and  no  one  in  command  could 
have  ordered  those  under  him  back,  even  had  he 
been  so  inclined. 

The  Riverlawns  had  come  forward  on  horse- 
back, but  now,  after  the  rifle-pits  were  gained,  it 


472  AN  UNDIVIDED   UNION 

was  deemed  best  to  dismount.  Away  they  went 
on  foot,  close  to  Sherman's  side,  with  Long's 
cavalry  but  a  short  distance  away. 

"  We  have  them  on  the  run,  boys  !  "  shouted 
Colonel  Gordon.  "  Forward  !  Don't  lag  behind 
the  rest  of  the  line  !  "  And  forward  they  went, 
until  the  first  battalion  was  far  up  the  heights, 
with  Deck  at  their  head,  waving  his  sabre  enthu- 
siastically over  his  head.  His  breast  had  been  sore 
from  that  sword  prick  in  the  rib,  but  now  all  that 
was  forgotten  in  the  excitement  of  the  moment. 

"There  is  a  break!"  he  shouted  to  Gordon, 
and  pointed  to  the  spot  with  his  sabre.  It  was  an 
opening  several  hundred  feet  wide,  and  the  River- 
lawns  rushed  to  .fill  it.  Then  on  they  went  again, 
pell-mell,  panting  for  breath,  and  firing  as  often 
as  the  opportunity  presented  itself.  Once  a  shot 
tore  through  the  companies,  but  it  did  not  stay 
their  progress. 

A  cheer  swept  down  the  line.  Some  regiment 
had  gained  a  peak  some  distance  away,  and  the 
Confederate  standard  was  torn  down,  and  the 
glorious  stars  and  stripes  hoisted  in  its  stead. 
The  cheer  was  nerve  inspiring,  and  onward  swept 
the  boys  in  blue  with  more  enthusiasm  than  ever. 


FIERCE  FIGHTING  473 

The  Riverlawns  were  still  a  hundred  feet  from 
the  point  they  were  trying  to  gain,  when,  on 
looking  through  the  cloud  of  smoke,  Deck  saw  a 
sight  that  filled  him  with  horror.  Above  was  a 
huge  mass  of  loose  rocks  and  dirt.  The  Confed- 
erates had  shovelled  away  to  the  front  of  the 
mass,  and  now  it  was  just  starting  on  its  down- 
ward way.  Should  it  strike  tlie  regiment  it 
would  fairly  annihilate  the  ranks. 

For  an  instant  Deck  could  not  speak.  Then 
his  voice  rang  out  like  a  trumpet :  — 

"  Riverlawns !  Right  face  !  Double-quick  — 
march  !  " 

"  Right-face !  Double-quick  —  march  !  "  rang 
from  one  battalion  to  another,  and  a  sharp  turn 
off  along  the  side  of  the  ridge  was  made.  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Gordon  looked  at  Deck  in 
wonder. 

"What  does  this  mean?"  he  began.  "Do 
you  — •  Great  heavens  !  Double-quick,  boys,  if 
you  want  to  save  your  lives  !  "  And  the  double- 
quick  became  a  triple-quick,  and  some  went  even 
faster.  Scarcely  had  the  regiment  left  the  fated 
spot  when  the  rocks  and  dirt  came  crashing 
down,  sweeping  trees,  brush,  and  vines  before  it, 


474  AN   UNDIVIDED    UNION 

and  ploughing  up  the  ground  as  though  with  so 
many  gigantic  plough-shares. 

"  You  saved  the  regiment !  "  cried  Tom  Bel- 
thorpe  as  he  met  Deck,  a  moment  later.  And 
Gordon  said  the  same. 

The  order  to  go  forward  again  was  now  given, 
and  away  went  the  Riverlawns  in  what  was  little 
short  of  an  ugly  mood,  for  they  did  not  consider 
the  letting  down  of  the  rocks  and  dirt  as  square 
fighting.  Deck  continued  at  the  head  of  the  first 
battalion,  and  inside  of  five  minutes  gained  the 
top  of  the  ridge.  A  regiment  of  Confederates 
were  there,  in  the  act  of  retreating,  and  he 
charged  them  relentlessly,  causing  them  to  fairly 
tumble  down  the  slopes  opposite.  The  whole 
regiment  was  soon  at  hand,  and  the  fight  did  not 
come  to  an  end  until  the  enemy  had  been  driven 
clear  out  of  sight. 

Missionar}''  Ridge  was  won,  but  now  was  no 
time  to  celebrate  the  victory,  although  cheer  after 
cheer  rang  along  the  mountain  peaks  and  every 
Union  flag  to  be  had  was  waving  lustily.  The 
Confederate  artillery  was  seized  and  pointed  in 
the  opposite  direction,  and  the  log  barricades 
were  torn  down  and  set  up  in  places  of  greater 


FIERCE    FIGHTING  475 

advantage.  At  the  centre,  the  Confederates 
tried  to  make  another  stand,  but  it  availed  noth- 
ing, and  overwhelmed,  they  threw  down  their 
arms  and  fled. 

But  even  yet  the  work  for  the  Riverlawns  was 
not  all  over.  There  was  another  ridge  between 
General  Sherman  and  the  main  body  of  the  Union 
troops,  a  ridge  near  the  tunnel  under  the  moun- 
tain, where  General  Bragg's  right  flank  rested. 
This  must  still  be  taken,  and  again  the  River- 
lawns  played  an  important  part,  fighting  until 
long  after  sundown,  with  Sherman's  invincible 
command. 

The  fighting  was  still  on,  when  Deck's  battal- 
ion found  itself  in  a  little  gulch,  pursuing  a  small 
body  of  Confederates  that  had  been  uncovered 
ten  minutes  before.  The  enemy  had  been  fired 
at  four  times,  and  half  a  dozen  men  had  fallen. 
The  battalion  pressed  them  so  closely  that  soon 
the  leader  was  seen  to  throw  away  his  sword  and 
lift  up  his  hands  in  token  of  surrender. 

The  face-to-face  meeting  with  the  Confederate 
was  a  surprise  to  Deck,  for  the  man  was  none 
other  than  Totterly,  and  the  men  under  him  num- 
bered two  who  had  taken  part  in  the  attack  on 


476  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

Riverlawn.  Under  a  strong  guard,  all  three 
guerillas  were  taken  to  the  rear.  Two  other  gue- 
rillas were  picked  up  mortally  wounded. 

As  soon  as  he  could  get  the  chance,  Deck  spoke 
to  Totterly  and  the  others  about  the  articles 
stolen  from  the  mansion.  The  leader  would 
admit  nothing,  but  one  of  the  wounded  men  con- 
fessed to  all  that  had  been  done  and  said  that  the 
articles  taken  had  been  left  with  a  relative  of 
Totterly  in  Chattanooga.  One  hundred  dollars 
of  the  gold  was  gone,  but  all  the  other  things 
were  safe.  That  night  Totterly  tried  to  escape 
by  running  the  prison  guard  and  was  shot  in  the 
back,  a  wound  from  which  he  died  at  sunrise. 

Deck  was  anxious  to  learn  if  the  information 
given  to  him  concerning  the  stolen  articles  was 
correct,  but  it  was  just  now  impossible  to  get 
away.  Early  in  the  morning  the  Riverlawns 
were  sent  along  the  river  in  pursuit  of  the  fly- 
ing enemy.  In  the  meantime  Sherman,  having 
done  such  gallant  work  at  the  Ridge,  was 
ordered  to  prepare  to  go  to  Knoxville,  where 
Burnside's  position  was  becoming  embarrass- 
ing. And  thus  the  Riverlawns  parted  with  this 
brave  and  daring  general  for  the  time  being. 


FIERCE   FIGHTING  477 

When  Major  Lyon  returned  to  Chattanooga 
he  found  Captain  Artie  much  improved.  Colo- 
nel Lyon  was  also  a  trifle  better,  but  both 
Surgeon  Farnwright  and  the  city  doctor  agreed 
that  he  must  not  think  of  joining  his  command 
again  for  at  least  four  or  six  months  to  come. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  colonel  never  went  into 
the  field  again,  but,  receiving  an  honorable  dis- 
charge, retired  to  his  home  at  Riverlawn,  hav- 
ing done  more  than  his  share  in  upholding  the 
glorious  Union. 

Upon  the  retirement  of  Noah  Lyon,  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Gordon  became  the  commandant 
of  the  regiment,  and  Deck  was  made  second 
in  command.  This  left  the  office  of  major  of 
the  first  battalion  vacant,  and  for  "  meritorious 
service "  Captain  Artie  Lyon  became  the  new 
major,  when  he  once  again  took  the  field,  six 
months  after  the  event  narrated  at  the  begin- 
ning of  this  chapter.  At  the  same  time  Sandy 
Lyon  became  a  full-fledged  captain,  much  to 
old  Titus  Lyon's  delight  and  to  the  joy  of  his 
mother  and  sisters. 

Deck's  first  move  on  coming  back  to  Chatta- 
nooga was  to  have  a  search  made  of  the  premises 


478  AN    UNDIVIDED   UNION 

occupied  by  the  relative  of  Totterly.  This 
brought  to  light  the  stolen  money,  minus  the 
hundred  dollars  which  had  been  spent,  the 
jewellery,  and  also  the  mysterious  missing  paper. 
To  make  sure  that  it  was  the  right  docu- 
ment it  had  to  be  read,  and  the  reading  made 
Noah  Lyon  and  the  other  members  of  his  house- 
hold smile. 

"  I  do  not  believe  in  the  institution  of  sla- 
very," wrote  Duncan  Lyon,  "and  I  hope  ere 
this  paper  is  brought  to  light  that  it  will  be 
abolished  in  the  State  of  Kentucky.  If  it  is 
not  abolished,  I  hereby  urge  upon  my  brother 
Noah  to  set  the  slaves  free,  —  doing  it  in  the 
following  manner  :  All  under  eighteen  years  of 
age  to  be  held  until  they  can  care  for  themselves, 
and  the  others  to  be  freed  at  the  rate  of  one 
every  two  months,  starting  with  the  oldest. 
This  will  make  it  easy  on  him.  If  the  slaves 
wish  to  remain  at  Riverlawn,  I  urge  that  they 
be  allowed  to  remain,  at  fair  wages,  so  long  as 
they  perform  their  work  faithfully." 

Such  was  the  contents  of  the  much-discussed 
letter,  and  Noah  Lyon  said  he  was  not  sur- 
prised.     "  It   pleases  me   to  know  that   Duncan 


FIERCE   FIGHTING  479 

thought  as  I  think,"  he  said  to  Deck.  "And 
I  am  glad  to  remember  that  our  slaves  are 
practically  slaves  no  longer.  Levi  Bedford 
has  already  put  every  hand  at  Riverlawn  on 
the  pay-roll,  and  the  only  reason  why  they 
don't  leave  is  because  they  don't  want  to 
leave." 

A  month  later  the  old  colonel  returned  to 
his  plantation  home,  but  Captain  Artie  re- 
mained at  Chattanooga.  The  reason  for  this 
was,  that  the  wounded  captain  had  found  Rose- 
bel  Greene  not  only  the  best  of  nurses  but 
likewise  the  loveliest  girl  he  had  ever  met. 
As  the  days  went  by  and  Artie  grew  stronger, 
their  friendship  increased,  and  it  was  with 
tears  in  her  eyes  that  she  saw  him  depart  at 
last  for  the  seat  of  war,  now  miles  away. 

As  the  days  passed  the  gateway  to  the  south- 
east was  thrown  wide  open,  and  Sherman  began 
that  march  to  the  sea  which  brought  him  such 
undying  fame.  With  the  general  went  the 
Riverlawns,  through  many  a  fiery  battle,  doing 
their  duty  as  of  yore  and  winning  fresh  laurels 
day  by  day.  To  tell  of  all  these  happenings 
would  require  many  volumes,  and   still   not  one 


480  AN    UNDIVIDED    UNION 

half  would  be  told.  The  war  went  on,  and 
commanders  came  and  went,  but  the  River- 
lawns  kept  in  their  place,  well  to  the  front,  no 
matter  what  the  danger.  In  one  battle  Colonel 
Gordon  was  shot  down,  and  then  Deck  became 
the  commander,  a  position  he  held  until  that 
final  surrender  of  Lee  to  Grant  at  Appomattox. 

The  Union  was  saved  !  How  the  news  flashed 
hither  and  thither  over  the  telegraph  wires  ! 
The  church  bells  rang,  bonfires  leaped  up  to 
the  very  clouds,  and  men,  women,  and  children 
shook  hands,  wept,  cheered,  and  yelled  them- 
selves hoarse.  Henceforth  it  would  be  the 
United  States  of  America,  and  nothing  less  — 
against  all  comers.  The  Constitution  of  our 
forefathers,  baptized  in  the  blood  of  thousands 
of  martyrs,  should  henceforth  be  held  sacred  ! 

The  final  surrender  came  in  April,  1865.  In 
October  of  that  year  occurred  two  events, 
which,  while  not  of  national  importance,  were 
of  great  moment  to  the  immediate  parties  con- 
cerned. By  invitation  of  the  Belthorpes,  Rose- 
bel  Greene  had  made  her  home  at  Lyndhall, 
and  here  she  was  united  for  life  to  the  young 
soldier  whom  she   had   so   tenderly  nursed  back 


FIERCE  FIGHTING  481 

from  death's  door  to  perfect  health.  At  the 
same  tnne  that  this  occurred  Kate  Belthorpe 
became  Mrs.  Dexter  Lyon.  All  belonging  to 
the  several  families  were  present,  and  among 
them  Margie  Gadbury,  who  in  the  early  spring 
had  changed  her  name  from  Belthorpe.  Lynd- 
hall  was  a  mass  of  lights  and  flowers,  and  both 
Deck  and  Artie  were  married  in  full  mili- 
tary uniform,  and  the  entire  occasion  was  one 
long  to  be  remembered  by  those  who  partici- 
pated. • 

When  the  Riverlawns  were  mustered  out 
there  was  some  talk  of  disbanding  the  com- 
mand, but  this  was  overruled,  and  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  the  various  companies  remained 
intact,  although  unattached.  Ever}^  year  they 
held  a  grand  reunion,  where  the  veterans,  young 
and  old,  would  "fight  their  battles  over  again." 
At  these  reunions  many  toasts  were  offered, 
but  that  which  brought  forth  the  greatest 
applause  was  the  one  invariably  offered  by 
Colonel  Dexter  Lyon. 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  would  say,  on  rising,  "  let  me 
give  to  you  the  toast  I  have  proposed  to  you  every 
year  since  the  war  closed  :  An  Undivided  Union. 


482  AN   UNDIVIDED   UNION 

May   God   prosper   it,    and   every  citizen   do   all 
he  can  to  uphold  it !  " 

"  An  Undivided  Union  !  "  would  come  back 
in  deep  unison.  "  Once  and  forever  !  An 
Undivided  Union  I " 


OLKVER    OPTIC'S    BOOKS 


All-Over-the-World  Library.    By  Oliver  Optic.    First  Series, 
Illustrated.     Price  per  volume,  $1.25. 

1.  A  ATissing  Million;  or,  The  Adventures  of  Louis   Belgrade. 

2.  A  Millioiiaire   at  Sixteen;   ok,  The  Cruise  of  the  "  Guardian 

Mother." 

3.  A  Young  Kniglit  Errant;  or,  Cruising  in  the  West  Indies. 

4.  Strange  Siglits  Abroad;  or.  Adventures  in  European  Waters. 

No  author  has  come  before  the  public  during^  the  present  generation  who 
has  achieved  a  larger  and  more  deserving  popularity  among  young  people  than 
"  Oliver  Optic."  His  stories  have  been  very  numerous,  but  they  have  been 
uniformly  excellent  in  moral  tone  and  literary  quality.  As  indicated  in  the 
general  title,  it  is  the  author's  intention  to  conduct  the  readers  01"  this  enter- 
taining series  "  around  the  world."  As  a  means  to  this  end,  the  hero  of  the 
story  purchases  a  steamer  which  he  names  the  "  Guardian  Mother,"  and 
with  a  number  of  guests  she  proceeds  on  her  voyage.  —  Christian  Work,  N.  Y. 

A.ll-Over-the-World    Ldbrary,      By  Oliver  Optic.      Second 
Series.     Illustrated.     Price  per  volume,  $1.25. 

1.  American  Boys  Afloat;    or,  Cruising  in  the  Orient. 

2.  Tile    Toung    iVavigators ;    or.    The    Foreign    Cruise     of    thb 

"  Maud." 

3.  Up  and  Do'^vn  tlie  Wile  ;  or.  Young  Adventurers  in  Africa. 

4.  Asiatic  Breezes  ;  or.  Students  on  the  Wing. 

The  interest  in  these  stories  is  continuous,  and  there  is  a  great  variety  of 
exciting  incident  woven  into  the  solid  information  which  the  book  imparts  so 
generously  and  without  the  slightest  suspicion  of  dryness.  Manly  boys 
will  welcome  this  volume  as  cordially  as  they  did  its  predecessors.  —  Boston 
Gazette, 

All-Over-the- World   Library.     By  Oliver  Optic.     Third  Se- 
ries.    Illustrated.     Price  per  volume,  $1.25. 

1.  Across  India  ;  or,  Live  Boys  in  the  Far  East. 

2.  Half  Round  the  "World ;  or,  Among  the  Uncivilized. 

3.  Four  Young  Explorers  ;  or,  Sight-Seeing  in  the  Troi-ics. 

4.  Pacific  Sliores  ;  or,  Adventures  in  Eastern  Seas. 

Amid  such  new  and  varied  surroundings  it  would  be  surprising  indeed  if  the 
author,  with  his  faculty  of  making  even  the  commonplace  attractive,  did  not 
tell  an  intensely  interesting  story  of  adventure,  as  well  as  give  much  informa- 
tion in  regard  to  the  distant  countries  through  which  our  frie  ids  p;iss.  and 
the  strange  peoples  with  whom  they  are  brought  in  contact.  This  book,  ind 
indeed  the  whole  series,  is  admirably  adapted  to  reading  aloud  in  the  fami'v 
circle,  each  volume  containing  matter  which  will  interest  all  the  members  •^i 
the  family.  — Boston  Budget. 

%£E  AND  SHEPARO,  BOSTON,  SEND  THEIR  COMPLETE  CATALOGUE  FREE. 


OLIVER  OPTIC'S  BOOKS 


The  Bine  and  the  Gray  —  Afloat.    By  Oliver  Optic.     Six 

volumes.  Illustrated.  Beautiful  binding  in  blue  and  gray, 
with  emblematic  dies.  Cloth.  Any  volume  sold  separately. 
Irice  per  volume,  $1.50. 

1.  Taken  by  the  Enemy.  4.     Stand  by  the  Union. 

2.  Within  the  Enemy's  Lines.  5.    Eigrhting  for  the  Rij^ht. 

3.  On  the  Blockade.  6.    A  Victorious  Uniou^ 

iTie  Bhie  and  the  Gray  —  on  Land. 

1.    Brother  asjaiiist  Brother.  4.   On  the  Staff. 

3.    In  tlie  Saddle.  5.   At  the  Front. 

3.    A  Lieutenant  at  Eighteen.  6.   An  Undivided  Union. 

"There  never  has  been  a  more  interesting  writer  in  the  field  of  juvenile 
literature  than  Mr.  W.  T.  Adams,  who,  under  his  well-known  pseudonym,  is 
known  and  admired  by  every  boy  and  girl  in  the  country,  and  by  thousands 
who  have  long  since  passed  the  boundaries  of  youth,  yet  who  remember  with 
pleasure  the  genial,  interesting  pen  that  did  so  much  to  interest,  instruct,  and 
entertain  their  youn"-er  years.  'The  Blue  and  the  Gray'  is  a  title  that  is  suf- 
ficiently indicative  oif  the  nature  and  spirit  of  the  latest  series,  while  the  name 
of  Oliver.  Optic  is  sufficient  warrant  of  the  absorbing  style  of  narrative.  This 
series  is  as  bright  and  entertaining  as  any  work  that  Mr.  Adams  has  yet  put 
forth,  and  will  be  as  eagerly  perused  as  any  that  has  borne  his  name.  It  would 
not  be  fair  to  the  prospective  reader  to  deprive  him  of  the  zest  which  comes 
from  the  unexpected  by  entering  into  a  synopsis  of  the  story.  A  word,  how- 
ever, should  be  said  in  regard  to  the  beauty  and  appropriateness  of  the  binding, 
which  makes  it  a  most  attractive  volume."  —  Boston  Budget. 

Woodville  Stories.  By  Oliver  Optic.  Six  volumes.  Illus- 
trated.   Any  volume  sold  separately.    Price  per  volume,  $1.25. 

1.  Rich  and  Humble;  or,  The  Mission  of  Bertha  Grant. 

2.  In  Scliool  and  Out;  or.  The  Conquest  of  Richard  Grant. 

3.  Watch  and  Wait;  or,  The  Young  Fugitives. 

4.  Work  and  Win;  or.  Noddy  Newman  on  a  Cruise. 

5.  Hope  and  Have;  or,  Fanny  Grant  among  the  Indians 

6.  Haste  and  Waste;  or,  The  Young  Pilot  of  Lake  Champlain. 
"Though  ^ve  are  not  so  young  as  we  once  were,  we  relished  these  stories 

almost  as  much  as  the  boys  and  girls  for  whom  they  were  written.  They  we-'S 
really  refreshing,  even  to  us.  There  is  much  in  them  which  is  calculated  0 
inspire  a  generous,  healthy  ambition,  and  to  make  distasteful  all  reading  ter.d- 
ing  to  stimulate  base  desires."  —  Fitchburg  Reveille. 

The  Starry  Flag"  Series.  By  Oliver  Optic.  In  six  volumes. 
Illustrated.  Any  volume  sold  separately.  Price  per  volume, 
$1.25. 

1.  The  Starry  Flag;  or,  The  Young  Fisherman  of  Cape  Ann. 

2.  Breaking  Away;  or.  The  Fortunes  of  a  Student. 

3.  Seek  and  Find;  or.  The  Adventures  of  a  Smart  Boy. 

4.  Freaks  of  Fortune;  or.  Half  round  the  World. 

5.  Make  or  Tireak;   or.  The  Rich  Man's  Daughter. 

C.   Down  the  River;  or,  Buck  Bradford  and  the  Tyrants. 

"  Mr.  Adams,  the  celebrated  and  popular  writer,  familiarly  known  as  Oliver 
Optic,  seems  to  have  inexhaustible  funds  for  weaving  together  the  virtue?  of 
life;  and,  notwithstanding  he  lias  written  scores  of  books,  the  same  fresnness 
and  novelty  run  through  them  all.  Some  people  think  the  sensational  element 
predominates.  Perhaps  it  does.  But  a  book  fhr  young  people  needs  this,  and 
SO  long  as  good  sentiments  are  inculcated  such  books  ought  to  be  read." 

LEE  AND  SHEPARD.  BOSTON,  SEND  THEIR  COMPLETE  CATALOGUE  FREL 


OLIVER  OPTIC'S   BOOKS 


Arni;y  and  !N'avy  Stories.  Bj  Oliver  Optic.  Six  volumes. 
IKustrated.  Any  volume  sold  separately.  Price  per  volume, 
$1.25. 

1.  The  ftrjldier  Boy;  or,  Tom  Somers  in  the  Army. 

2.  The  Sailor  Boy;  or,  Jack  Somers  in  the  Navy. 

3.  The  Young  liieutenant ;   or,  Adventujjes  of  an  Army  Officer. 

4.  The  Yankee  Middy;  or.  Adventures  of  a  Navy  Officer. 

5.  Fighting  Joe;  or,  The  Fortunes  of  a  Staff  Officer. 

6.  Erave  Old  Salt;  or,  Life  on  the  QuAEtTER  Decs.. 

"This  series  of  six  volumes  recounts  the  adventures  of  two  brothers,  Tom 
and  Ja::k  Somers,  one  in  the  army,  the  other  in  the  n.ivv,  in  the  great  Civil  War. 
The  romantic  narratives  of  the  fortunes  and  exploits  of  the  brothers  are  thrill- 
ing-  in  the  extreme.  Historical  accuracy  in  the  recital  of  the  great  events  of 
that  period  is  strictly  followed,  and  the  result  is,  not  only  a  library  of  entertain- 
ing volumes,  but  also  the  best  history  of  the  Civil  War  for  young  people  ever 
written." 

3oat  Builders  Series.  By  Oliver  Optic.  In  six  volumes. 
Illustrated.     Any  volume  sold  separately.     Price  per  volume, 

$1.25. 

I.  All  Adrift;  or,  The  GoLDvyiNG  Club. 

II.  Snug  Harbor;  or.  The  Chamtlain  Mechanics. 

3.  Square  and  Compasses;  or,  Building  the  House. 

4.  Stem  to  Stern;  or,  Building  the  Boat. 

5.  All  Taut;  or,  IIigging  the  Boat. 

6.  Keady  About;  or.  Sailing  the  Boat. 

"  The  series  includes  in  six  successive  volumes  the  whole  ai-t  of  boat  building, 
boat  rigging,  boat  managing,  and  practical  hints  to  make  the  ownership  of  a 
boat  pay.  A  great  deal  of  useful  information  is  given  in  this  Boat  Builders 
Series,  and  in  ■^ach  book  a  very  interesting  story  is  intenvoven  \vith  the  infor- 
mation. Every  reader  will  be  interested  at  once  in  Dory,  the  hero  of  '  All 
Adrift,'  and  one  of  the  characters  retained  in  the  subsequent  volumes  of  the 
series.  His  friends  will  not  want  to  lose  sight  of  him,  and  eveiy  boy  who 
makes  his  acquaintance  in  '  All  Adrift '  will  become  his  friend." 

Itiverdale  Story  Books.  By  Oliver  Optic.  Twelve  vol- 
umes. Illustrated.  Illuminated  covers.  Price :  cloth,  per 
set,  $3.60;   per  volume,  30  cents;  paper,  per  set,  $2.00. 

1.  Little  Merchant.  7.     Proud  and  L,azy. 

2.  Young  Voyagers.  8.     Careless  Kate. 

3.  Christmas"  Gift.  9.     Kobinson  Crusoe,  Jr. 

4.  Dolly  and  I.  10.    The  Picnic  Party. 

5.  Uncle  Ben.  11.     The  Gold  Thimble. 

6.  Birthday  Party.  12.     The  Do-Somethings. 

Riverdale  Story  Books.  By  Oliver  Optic.  Six  volumes. 
Illustrated.  Fancy  cloth  and  colors.  Price  per  volume,  30 
cents. 

1.  I/ittle  Merchant.  4.    Careless  Kate. 

2.  Proud  and  Lazy.  5.    Dolly  and  I. 

S.    Young  Voyagers.  6.     Robinson  Crusoe,  Jr. 

Flora  Lee  Library.  By  Oliver  Optic.  Six  volumes.  Illus- 
trated. Fancy  cloth  and  colors.  Price  per  volume,  30 
cents. 

1.  The  Picnic  Party.  4.    Christmas  Gift. 

2.  The  Gold  Thimble.  5.     Uncle  Ben. 

3.  The  Do-Somethings.  6.     Birthday  Party. 

These  are  bright  short  stories  for  younger  children  who  are  unable  to  com 
prehend  the  Starry  Plag  Series  or  the  Army  and  Navy  Series.  But  they 
all  display  the  author's  talent  for  pleasing  and  interesting  the  little  folks.  They 
are  all  fresh  and  original,  preaching  no  sermons,  but  inculcating  good  lessons. 

LEE  AND  SHEPARD,  BOSTON,  SEND  THEIR  COMPLETE  CATALOGUE  FRFP 


OLIVER  OPTIC'S   BOOKS 


The  Great  Western  Series.     By  Oliver  Optic.     In  six  vol- 
umes.    Illustrated.    Any  volume  sold  separately.     Price  per 
volume,  $1.25. 
1.  Going:  West;  or,  The  Perils  of  a  Poor  Boy. 
3.  Out  West;  or,  Roughing  it  on  the  Great  Lakes. 

3.  take  Breezes;  or,  The  Cruise  of  the  Sylvania. 

4.  Going  South;  or,  Yachting  on  the  Atlantic  Coast, 
6.  Down  South;  or.  Yacht  Adventures  in  Florida. 
C.  Up  the  River;  or.  Yachting  on  the  Mississippi. 

"This  is  the  latest  series  of  books  issued  by  this  popular  writer,  and  deair 
■with  life  on  the  Great  Lakes,  for  which  a  careful  study  was  made  by  the  author 
in  a  summer  tour  of  the  immense  water  sources  of  America.  The  story,  which 
carries  the  same  hero  through  the  six  books  of  the  series,  is  always  entertain- 
ins:,  novel  scenes  and  varied  incidents  giving:  a  constantly  chansjing:  yet  always 
attractive  aspect  to  the  narrative.    Oliver  Optic  has  written  nothing-  better." 

The  Yacht  Chib  Series.    By  Oliver  Optic.     la  six  volumes. 

Illustrated.     Any  volume  sold  separately.     Price  per  volume, 

$1.25. 
1=  liittle  Bobtail;  or.  The  Wreck  of  the  Penobscot. 
3.  The  Yacht  Club;  or.  The  Young  Boat  Builders. 

3.  Money-Maker;  or.  The  Victory  of  the  Basilisk. 

4.  The  Coming  Wave;  or.  The  Treasure  of  High  Rock, 

5.  The  Dorcas  Club;  or.  Our  Girls  Afloat. 
C.  Ocean  Born;  or.  The  Cruise  of  the  Clubs. 

"The  series  has  this  peculiarity,  that  all  of  its  constituent  volumes  are  inde> 
pendent  of  one  another,  and  therefore  each  story  is  complete  in  itself.  Oliver 
Optic  is,  perhaps,  the  favorite  author  of  the  boys  and  girls  of  this  country,  and 
he  seems  destined  to  enjoy  an  endless  popularity.  He  deserves  his  success, 
for  he  makes  very  interesting  stories,  and  inculcates  none  but  the  best  senti- 
ments, and  the  'Yacht  Club'  is  no  exception  to  this  rule."  —  New  Haven 
yournal  and  Courier. 

Onw^ard  and  Upw^ard  Series.  By  Oliver  Optic.  In  six 
volumes.  Illustrated.  Any  volume  sold  separately.  Price 
per  volume,  $1.25. 

1.  Field  and  Forest;  or,  The  Fortunes  of  a  Farmer. 

2.  Plane  and  Plank;  or.  The  Mishaps  of  a  Mechanic. 

3.  Desk  and  Debit;  or.  The  Catastrophes  of  a  Clerk. 

4.  Cringle  and  Crosstree;  or.  The  Sea  Swashes  of  a  Sailor. 

5.  Bivouac  and  Battle;  or.  The  Struggles  of  a  Soldier. 

6.  Sea  and  Shore;  or.  The  Tramps  of  a  Traveller. 

"Paul  Farringford,  the  hero  of  these  tales,  is,  like  most  of  this  author's 
heroes,  a  young  man  of  high  spirit,  and  of  high  aims  and  correct  principles, 
appearing  in  tne  different  volumes  as  a  fanner,  a  captain,  a  bookkeeper,  a 
soldier,  a  sailor,  and  a  traveller.  In  all  of  them  the  hero  meets  with  very 
exciting  adventures,  told  in  the  graphic  style  for  which  the  author  is  famous." 

The  Lake  Shore  Series.  By  Oliver  Optic.  In  six  volumes. 
Illustrated.  Any  volume  sold  separately.  Price  per  volume, 
$1.25. 

1.  Tiirou^rh  by  Daylight;  or,  The  Youj'g  Engineer  of  the  Lakh 

Shore  Railroad. 

2.  T.l^htning  Express;  or.  The  Rival  Academies. 

3.  On  Time;  or.  The  Young  Captain  of  the  Ucayga  Steamer. 

4.  Switch  Off;  or,  The  War  of  the  Students. 

5.  Brake  Up;  or.  The  Young  Peacemakers. 

G.  Bjar  and  Forbear;  or.  The  Young  Skipper  of  Lake  Ucayga. 

"  Oliver  Optic  is  one  of  the  most  fascinating  writers  for  youth,  and  withal 
one  of  the  best  to  be  found  in  this  or  any  past  age.  Troops  of  youn^  people 
hang  over  his  vivid  pages  ;  and  not  one  of  them  ever  learned  to  be  mean,  ignoble, 
cowardly,  selfish,  or  to  yield  to  any  vice  from  anything  they  ever  read  frcra  his 
pen."  —  Providence  Pres-, 

i,Et  a::3  shzpard.  boston,  send  their  complete  catalogue  free. 


RARE  BOOK 
COLLECTION 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT 

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